


Slavery

by bitterstolenrelic, graysonatural



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Humans are dominant and complete assholes, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Intersex Jotunn Loki comes into play later, Jotunn are from Earth, Just checked them off in case, M/M, May not adhere to archive warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-06 05:33:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitterstolenrelic/pseuds/bitterstolenrelic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/graysonatural/pseuds/graysonatural
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Jotunn race lives in constant fear of being captured and sold as slaves. When their prince, Loki, is captured, wealthy businessman Tony Stark only wants the finest things in life, purchasing the Jotunn prince as his own. However, Tony has been bothered by the slavery for a long time, and seeks to bring about its end. Or so he claims.</p>
<p>(This is an ongoing roleplay that I'm having with my Loki from Tumblr, loki-says-kneel, and it's being put up in pieces.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing roleplay. If I can figure AO3 out, each chapter will have translations to the Norwegian used. The native tongue of the Jotunn race in this story is Norwegian, and where my darling RP partner speaks it, I do not, so I apologize for any poor translations on my part.

Loki hissed quietly as bright lights were focused onto him, squinting his crimson eyes in an irritated fashion and turning his head away just a little. This was it, he knew. He would be bought by some lucky bastard human, just like the rest of his kind. It sickened him, though he knew he would at least be going to the home of someone wealthy; for he was the prince of his race, after all. The fact that he'd been captured in the first place was a miracle in itself, and so he knew very well that he would cost a pretty penny.

To discourage anyone that might wish to buy him, Loki leaned forward and snarled at the audience, baring wicked fangs and dark eyes. People gasped and backed away, and he spat freezing saliva out onto the front row, just for good measure. His holders dragged him back harshly, and someone behind him smacked him in the back of the head, though he would not be made a possession to man without a fight.

Snapping his head back, he forced one of his horns into the man's face, and he grinned as a cry of agony rang out, blood dripping from his horn. And then, as consequence, he was forced to his knees and slashed at with a whip, though it hardly did any damage to his chilled skin.

Tony Stark was one of the wealthiest of the men in attendance, and when they announced the piece for auction as royalty, well - royalty was royalty, even among beasts. He hadn't listened to the Jotunn's name, as it honestly wasn't important to him. He already knew he'd be going home with the creature, and he was already picturing the ornamentation he could carve from the prince's horn, once he owned the beast on the stage.

It was customary, to practically freeze the nerve endings so it wouldn't kill the creature, and remove a Frost Giant's horn. It was typically turned into some sort of jewelry, and most slave owners were also fortunate enough to know someone who might place a spell on it, so that if their property were to run, they could find a way to retrieve it. Tony was lost in thought for a moment, picturing what to do with that horn - much more magnificent than others because of his ranking, Tony assumed - that he missed the first few bids.

The young man scowled as the price didn't stop rising, and he slammed his fist on the table to get the attention of the auctioneers, and he threw out a number that made everyone else in the room fall completely silent. The number was arbitrary; the Stark name was well known, it was a family with money, and Tony wasn't afraid to use it on a slave, not when he had a few million to spare.  
"Once, twice, and the Jotunn prince is SOLD to Mr. Stark!"

 

Loki fought against his holders in an attempt to escape as the prices kept rising and rising, for if he did not flee soon, he knew that he would be rendered unconscious in the event that he was sold; for it was customary to do so, so that the slave did not free itself while the Master was situating and securing its living arrangements, whatever those may be.  
He felt a pang of nausea and fear split through his insides as a price higher than anything he could imagine rang out from the mouth of a man in the crowd. His head immediately snapped up to view the bidder, and he nearly cringed.

"Once, twice," the voice of the auctioneer splintered through his ears, and he hissed, clenching his eyes shut as he prepared himself, "and the Jotunn prince is SOLD to Mr. Stark!"

_Tsssk._ A tranquilizer dart dug into a vein in his neck, and he cried out before everything went black.

 

Tony smiled wolfishly, standing up from his table and heading to the desk beside the stage. He'd only come for one slave. He'd only ever wanted one, and he had the best of them. Their prince of all things... If that didn't technically give him control over the rest of the giants, he didn't know what would. It suited his purposes quite well, anyway.

He went to the table, setting up the method of payment for his purchase. They asked if he needed someone to bewitch the Jotunn's horn, once it was removed, but he shook his head. He knew a few people that were accomplished enough in spell work, and one of the most accomplished magicians of the day owed him a favor as it was. They also asked after the horn, if he would need any assistance removing it. It was a routine question, but it frustrated him. He was more than capable of that part. He was a genius; he had means, and he had ways of accomplishing anything he could ever want. 

"Actually, I'm all done with the auction today. My driver's bringing the car around. Make sure he's sufficiently shackled, he can ride on the floor like a dog until we get to the manor."

 

Loki's handlers dragged him backstage, slapping thick shackles onto his hands, feet, and neck. They were all connected by chains, limiting the Jotunn's movement tremendously, should he awaken before Tony desired it. One of them hoisted the being up and over his shoulder, moving over to confront Tony and moving to meet the man's driver as he pulled up to the curbside. Tossing Loki onto the floor in the back, just as Mr. Stark had specified, the handler nodded to Tony before he headed back to the auctioning booth.

As soon as Tony slipped into the car, his driver sped off, heading to the manor. It was a short drive, only about fifteen minutes, until they made it to the manor's large gates; and upon the iron structures opening, the driver maneuvered into the driveway, parking the car.

Loki tossed slightly in the back, though he remained unconscious.

 

While the car took them back to the manor, Tony sent two messages: one to the human support of the house, to ready someplace sturdy for Loki to stay, as he was certain the prince would object to being kept. The other was a message to the magician who owed him the favor - that being the sooner he could come to the manor the better. He needed to get Loki's horn, and soon.

As they drove, he examined the body on the floor. The creature was lean, and if he'd been human, he almost certainly would've been attractive... While it wasn't unheard of for humans to use the Jotunn for bed slaves as well as whatever other duties they were given, Tony didn't _want_ the prince, and he was certain that they shared that feeling.

When the car pulled up in front of the house, a strong human servant came out to take Loki to his new quarters, and Tony followed. He had the man put the Jotunn on the floor, and he watched intently, waiting for the magician to arrive for the magic he needed.

 

Loki shifted in the back, long and elegant hair obscuring his face. The golden accessories he was adorned with were certainly telling of his rank among his kind, as well as how very graceful and long his horns were. He was a beautiful creature to most, especially since he was more attractive than the majority of the Jotunn beasts that were sold as slaves; though, because he was a Jotunn, there were many who saw him as naught but disgusting, no matter how gorgeous he was.

As he lay upon the floor of his new home, Loki stirred a bit, and soon, his dark eyes fluttered open. Immediately, he sat up, looking around frantically; and as soon as he laid eyes on Tony, he growled and hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

 

"My my, aren't we feisty. Relax," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I assume you know what happens to your kind once you've been bought. You'd make a pretty piss-poor prince if you didn't." He scoffed, looking to make sure that the creature on the floor was still in chains, then he crouched down to the Jotunn's level, smirking as he reached out to touch some of the gold.

"Just in case you don't know, we take one of your horns - I'm partial to your right horn - carve it into something we can wear, and bind you to us. You won't need the gold anymore, although you're going to exist to be nothing more than a trophy, so maybe we should keep you nice and pretty..." His eyes scanned the creature's body again, and he reached up to touch the horn he wanted.

 

Snarling lowly at Tony, the Jotunn only blinked in response. Of course he knew. He'd even spent years trying to stop it, but obviously, to no avail. He scooted back a little as the man crouched down in front of him, though he remained in arms reach, and he resisted the urge to lash out as he touched Loki's gold. His jaw clenched, and he met the other's gaze, refusing to speak.

This man was a monster. Slavery was inhumane, and he knew that every single disgusting human was well aware of that fact; which only made the creature despise them even more, because this made them even less than their own species.

As Tony's hand neared his horn, Loki's instincts took over: he whipped his head around, sinking his manicured fangs into the human's hand before it could reach the most vulnerable part of his body.

 

Tony yelped in surprise and pain and he tensed, but it took an intense amount of self control to stop him before he yanked his hand away. That would've torn flesh and caused pain. "Uncultured _bastard_ ," he growled, shaking a little. "I won't touch it, but that doesn't change what's going to happen once my friend gets here," he pointed out. He was visibly shaking and twitching as pain shot up his arm, but he made himself stay calm. He knew the creature on his floor was sentient, and it was more than obvious that he didn't care for his new master, because of the relationship they were guaranteed to have. 

It took an obscene amount of control for Tony to keep himself from striking his slave, but he knew that would do his hand about as much good as yanking the flesh away from those sharp teeth. "Give me my hand back. I want to know your name."

 

Loki growled around the flesh in his jaws, and he refrained from tearing the meat from the bone; for he knew that that would cause horrible consequences--more horrible than he would already have to endure for being resistant, anyway.

In anger, he chomped down and jerked his head just slightly, tearing at the bit of flesh he held in his mouth; though he deemed that that was enough, and he then relaxed his jaw a bit.  
At the command, he hesitated, though he eventually released the hold he had on Tony's hand, his new Master's blood dribbling down his chin. He swallowed thickly, for the dark substance had leaked into his mouth as well, and he hissed quietly at the awful taste.

"Jeg vil ikke fortelle deg," (1) he spat in his native tongue, voice so very smooth and silken that one might have thought he was a Siren.

 

Tony took his hand back, holding it close, examining the bite wound. "I really hope they gave you your shots, because I'd hate to have to put such an expensive pet to sleep so soon," he growled under his breath, glaring up at the Jotunn. He wasn't fluent in the language that the frost giants spoke, but he knew a little bit of it. He very nearly decided to reach out and take the loincloth that the Jotunn wore to wrap up his hand, but he didn't want to give him a reason to be more aggressive than he already was.

His accent was harsh, and he was slow when he spoke, but he replied slowly in the same tongue. "Si meg navnet ditt,” (2) he said again, stubbornly fixated on wanting to know his slave's name.

 

"Blir satt til å sove ville være bedre enn dette," (3) he scowled, allowing a small smirk to grace his features as the man bled.

Tugging at his restraints as Tony examined his hand, Loki hissed as he realized that there would be no breaking out of them; and what a pity that was, for he could have escaped so very easily past this man and into the wilderness, never to be found again.

As the language rolled off of Tony's tongue, the Jotunn's head snapped up in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that, for most Masters didn't take the time to learn the language of "beasts." After several moments of thinking, he finally sighed. "Loki Laufeyson."

 

It took him a moment, but he caught only some of the words that came from his slave's mouth. Loki... he mouthed the name, committing it to memory. He knew the creature spoke the common tongue, as well as his own native language. 

"Loki. I have a friend on his way, and you're going to lose one of those pretty horns, whether you want to or not. You're stuck." 

Tony got up, glancing towards the door as there was a quiet knock, and a man peeked inside. "Sir, your friend is here... you can take care of... that," he said distastefully, then popped back out. Tony rolled his shoulders, irritated by the behavior of his subordinate. "Can I get you anything, before you lose your horn?"

 

Growling in displeasure, Loki used his legs to scoot away from Tony. "My horns shall remain on my head," he replied, his accent thick and perfect and beautiful. Stubborn as he was, he knew that there was no escaping his fate now. He would be owned. Claimed. A slave to man.

He fought tears. What would become of him, and the rest of his race? Now that he'd been captured, what would they do? He feared for them. For their safety. Now, more than ever.

At the news that Tony's friend had arrived, Loki swallowed hard. Surely they would numb the area so that he would not die, though he could not help but to feel his instincts screaming within him. "You can let me go," he hissed at Tony, squirming in one final attempt to free himself.

 

Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You get to keep one of them. You know I'm not letting you go, but nice try." He was quiet other than that, getting to his feet. His hand had finally stopped bleeding, but it was still stinging painfully from the bite. 

"I know you think I'm the enemy here, but it doesn't have to be that way. You should see it in time. In the meantime, consider yourself lucky I bought you just to be a trophy. I have friends with Jotunn slaves that are fucked so often they can't even walk. It's a strange sensation, being inside one of you..." he mused, saying it just to get a reaction from the prince.

 

Loki knew his horn would grow back over time. They always did--or they would, if any Jotunn had lived through one of them breaking off without means of numbing.

The Prince laughed out loud at Tony's words. "You are not the enemy here?" He scoffed, giving a defiant eye roll. "You humans are the ones who feel so very insecure that you take our kind as slaves. You thought we would overwhelm you. Take over your race. And you wanted to do it first." He spat at Tony's feet. "We are a peaceful race; or we would have been, had you not given us means to defend ourselves. It is the humans' fault that we despise you so. All of you ignorant, laughable fools."

He kept up the smug look, listening to Tony speak; however, as he mentioned that one detail, he couldn't help but to react: his lips parted in astonishment; his crimson eyes widened in alarm. "You would not dare," he snapped, though there was a barely-there shakiness in his voice.

 

"I said _I'm_ not, meaning specifically me." He really wasn't, the way he saw it. Yes, he now owned the prince of the entire race, and he'd been inebriated once or twice and been given permission to play with a friend's slave, but he didn't think he should quite announce that to the prince on his floor.

He couldn't help himself, but his eyes scanned over Loki's body again. He was interested, yes, but he wasn't going to lay a hand on the prince. To some degree, he wanted to keep that as a threat, something that the creature knew was a possibility. "You? No, not yet anyway. If I'd meant for you to be used like that, you would've woken up tied down to the bed, with none of your gold, and wearing nothing but that blue skin, with that... exquisite body on display for your Master," he purred lowly, smirking at the shake in Loki's voice and look of shock that had snuck onto his face.

 

Loki felt a shiver run through his body as Tony's eyes seemed to rake over his body. He did not particularly enjoy how the man was nearly playing with him, making him nervous and fearful of being touched in such a way. He'd never mated with anyone, and so he was sure that it would be unpleasant, especially because Tony was human; and while Loki would admit that he was slightly curious about human bodies and how they worked, he did not desire one's genitalia to even come near his own.

At the thought of being tied down to a bed, wearing naught but his dignity and being looked at as if he were a prize that'd been won, he shuddered and swallowed hard, fingers curling and clenching into fists. "You will not," he replied shakily, toes curling defensively. "You will not touch me. You will not."

 

Tony rolled his eyes, chuckling and shaking his head. "Calm down. I'm not so much of a monster that I'd force you, no matter what you think of the rest of my kind. And if I did decide I wanted you, I wouldn't tie you down, not someone who acts like they've never been touched," he said bluntly. He hadn't bought Loki with the intention of sleeping with him. He actually never intended to, honestly. But making the Jotunn squirm uncomfortably, making the prince seem so young and so nervous, was worth every penny he'd paid. 

There was a knock on the door a moment later, and a man with salt-n-pepper hair came in, bringing a smile from Tony. The man practically exuded magic, and he had a metal case in his hand that contained the dry ice that could numb the Jotunn's skin to make this torment almost bearable.

 

Loki forced himself to stop trembling, allowing his fingers and toes to relax. Perhaps Tony was not as ignorant as every other human he'd ever seen, though he was still a monster for doing this, in the Jotunn's mind.

The knock made Loki jump, and he backed into the wall as the man walked in scooting along the floor until his back hit the surface. He could feel the magic radiating from him, and it made him shudder. He snarled at him, knowing that this would be the being to assist Tony in removing his horn; this would be the man that sealed his fate. His instincts came back into play, and he bared his fangs to assert not only his dominance and rank among his kind, but also the fact that he was dangerous and was willing to bite, and lash out, and do whatever it took to keep him away.

 

Again, Tony rolled his eyes at Loki's reaction. The man with the box scowled a little, but he was confident enough in his magic that he raised his hand, as if to hold Loki down against the wall, but Tony held a hand up, crouching down in front of the Jotunn again.

"This is going to happen, Loki, and the more you fight it, the more it's going to hurt you. The good Doctor is more than capable of holding you down removing that regardless of if you struggle," he said calmly. He'd already been bitten once by the creature before him. He wasn't that concerned with being bitten again. He doubted greatly that the Jotunn would just accept it, but letting the creature get his way wasn't going to start anything good.

 

Loki nearly began his own spell, though Tony crouching in front of him threw him off and distracted him sufficiently. His words made the Jotunn frown deeply, lips pressing tightly together for a moment or two. "If he strays from the procedure, I shan't hesitate to bite off his hand," he threatened just as calmly, more than confident in his own hundreds of years of abilities and training. He was reluctant to allow this to happen, though he knew that he had no choice--for he was owned, after all.

As the man neared him, Loki hissed, determining that no matter what--no matter how this went down--this man would leave with a bite mark, or worse.

 

Without hesitating - after all, Loki was _his_ , and if the Jotunn was going to bite someone, it would be him - Tony moved closer. He was careful not to touch Loki's horns, for what it was worth, but he did hold the Jotunn's head against his chest, trying to hold him somewhat steady. 

The Doctor moved, using his magic to lift the dry ice from its container. He had done this sort of thing before, and he pressed the frozen chunk to Loki's head, by his temple and the base of the horn to numb the sensitive area. Tony winced sympathetically, still waiting for Loki to lash out at him during this. Tony had seen some Jotunn horns removed much more painfully, with an actual saw or something blunter to just break it off. The Doctor's magic wasn't painless by any chance, and there was still a loud crack that echoed through the room when his magic split Loki's horn, barely an inch above the base of the horn where it blended into the Jotunn's skull.

 

Loki gasped as Tony tugged him close, growling against the man's chest. He struggled a little, but when the ice came into contact with his head, he stiffened, the area numbing almost instantly. He groaned at the sensation, for it was so very strange and unfamiliar; though the groan was replaced with a small whimper as he began to feel a certain pressure upon his skull. The Jotunn could take pain, but this... this was inhumane.

A feral cry escaped him as the horn split from his head, teeth sinking deep into Tony's shoulder for a moment before he fell limp. He was still breathing, though the pain had been so great that he'd fainted, now dead weight in Tony's arms.

 

Tony had expected worse than just one bite to his shoulder, but it was better for the Jotunn to lash out against him than to lash out in any other direction, where he might do himself more harm than good. It took the Doctor a moment to fully detach the horn, healing the stump of it that remained as best as he could. He stepped back with it, starting to work the spells that would bind Loki to Tony as his slave. The Jotunn's owner was careful, shifting his arms to lift the dead weight, to pull Loki upright for a moment, to get him to the bed in the room.

"I don't know why you're bothering, he's going to turn around and attack you for taking his horn, especially once you're wearing it," the Doctor pointed out as Tony set Loki down, trying not to collapse under the extra weight. He was careful of the other horn, trying not to knock it against anything, and he made an effort not to touch him inappropriately. He'd done enough damage, he thought, without traumatizing him further. He sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for the Doctor to finish with the base spells on the horn, taking it gingerly when the man was done. He shoot Tony a disappointed look, like he couldn't believe the man had actually joined in on this barbaric tradition, but he said nothing else, leaving Tony to wait for Loki to come around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Jeg vil ikke fortelle deg - I won't tell you.
> 
> (2) Si meg navnet ditt - Tell me your name.
> 
> (3) Blir satt til å sove ville være bedre enn dette - Being put to sleep would be better than this.
> 
> \-----  
> Silly notes, stay attached to your chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki learns about the Stark mansion, and Tony starts to learn a little about the Jotunn race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the format can be a little tricky to read, as it is literally the transcript of a roleplay, but thanks for bearing with it. Try as I might, I would've had to rewrite the entire thing, and it's more than 30000 words at the moment, so... I'm sorry.
> 
> As a note, as this will come into play at some point in the immediate future - and as my darling RP partner writes - the Jotunn race falls in love fast and hard, and when Tony stops being so insufferable, he's not too terrible. Just a note.

Loki lay completely still, having been knocked out quite well from the pain. His expression was surprisingly peaceful as he rested on the bed, lips parted just slightly, limbs relaxed, and his chest rising and falling slowly.

His horn, now detached from his head, was slightly darker, as it was now dead bone. The nearly gnarled and twisted object was light for its size, and would no doubt make for beautiful jewelry.

Soon enough, Loki awakened, sitting up slowly. He was still chained, to his dismay, and the spot where his horn had been ached terribly. Reaching a hand up slowly, not particularly caring if Tony was watching or not, he felt around where the bone was supposed to be. Upon noticing the gross lack of his beloved horn, the Jotunn began to cry, though it was silent and wide-eyed. The shock was setting in. He trembled, first feeling around for his horn frantically, then dropping his hands and simply sitting there, whimpering and weeping quietly, and pushing away from Tony once he realized that the man was, in fact, holding the object in question.

 

Tony held the horn in his hand as it darkened and died off, and he watched Loki carefully. He wasn't expecting a positive reaction when the Jotunn awoke, but tears were... unexpected.   
He stood, crossing the room to set the horn down on a table by the door and walking back. He hesitated on the edge of the bed before sitting down, scooting closer slowly. He didn't allow Loki to try to scoot away, pulling the Jotunn close, almost as he had when the Doctor had severed the horn in the first place. 

"If you swear to me that you'll behave, I'll remove the chains. And with the enchantment, you'll have to behave, but that's not the point. I didn't want to see you like this. I'll take the chains off, it that will help," he said softly, leaning back. He still didn't allow Loki to go far, but he carefully removed the chains from around his wrists and arms, practically expecting him to retaliate.

 

Loki looked on in horror as Tony set his horn down, a sob ripping through him as he noted the bone's darkened color. It was too late; the horn could no longer be reattached. It was dead, and so was a little part of the Jotunn, for the horns of a Frost Giant were perhaps their most precious body part.

Upon Tony returning to his side, Loki scrambled to get away, though his Master did not allow it. "Nei!" (4) He protested, turning his head away and pushing at the man's body in a feeble attempt to free himself from the warm grasp.

Those words came as a slight surprise--especially the part about Tony not desiring to see him in such a state--and he held still, aside from his trembling, as the human removed his bindings. Almost immediately, Loki pushed him away, struggling to stand. He stumbled over to the horn hurriedly, taking it from the table and then simply falling to the floor, clutching it close as heavy sobs wracked his body.

"Jeg hater deg," he said through his whimpers and gasps. "Jeg hater deg.. jeg ha-hater deg.. d-du er en skurk!" (5)

 

Tony had expected more retaliation than a shove, but he got up, walking over slowly. He'd heard those words before, enough to understand them; his father had owned more than a few Jotunn slaves, and Tony learned what he knew of the language from them. He stopped a few feet away, shorter stature nearly towering over the creature on the floor. "Jeg vet det," (6) he said, slowly again. He didn't have a cause to speak the language often, and he really hadn't been properly taught. "De fleste gjør." (7)

He took a step forward, holding his hand out. "Give me the horn, Loki. You can't reattach it, and you'll learn to live without it." There was a cold note to his voice as he spoke.

 

Loki was much too upset and focused on his horn to notice Tony making his way over; though as the man spoke to him in his native tongue, he turned his head to glare at him through his peripherals. It still surprised him that Tony knew any Norwegian at all, though he took it in stride, growling.

"No," he uttered defiantly, standing and holding the horn away from Tony. "It is mine," he nearly growled, eyes glowing with hatred. "It is mine, and mine alone, and you shan't have it. You are not to touch me, nor are you to attempt such a foul practice as this." The Jotunn crouched a little, as if daring Tony to try and take it from him.

 

"You're in no position to be giving me orders," he said, just a little amused. "If you refuse to give me that one, I have no problem letting you keep the dead one, after I call the Doctor to remove the other one. You're _mine _, Loki, and I'm not going to take orders from an animal. Now, play nice, and hand it over." He smirked a little, holding his hand out a little further.  
He was serious about removing the other horn, and something told him the prince would prefer to at least keep one of them. He wasn't above making such threats, regardless, and he expected Loki to listen if it meant making his own life a little easier.__

__

__Loki's heart began to race with the thought of his other horn being taken, and his instincts pushed aside logic. "I am no animal, filthy human. You think yourselves better than we, and yet you are more barbaric than ** _monkeys_**!" Dashing forward with speed any serpent would envy, Loki landed a harsh kick to Tony's abdomen, intending on sending him back. "Here," he spat, crouching over the man menacingly. " **Have it.** "_ _

__With a grunt, he plunged the horn's sharp tip into Tony's stomach, pushing it deep and making sure to tear the skin. "I shall not _play nice_ with someone who deems a higher being to be so beneath them. And a Prince, nonetheless. Have this horn, then. Have it, and like it." He continued to push, pinning Tony with his brute strength and growling loudly._ _

__

__Having not expected the kick, it knocked him down and back, and he was definitely not expecting to be stabbed with it. He cried out, shaking between the shock and the pain. "You're not acting any more humane than you're accusing me of being," he said through clenched teeth. He writhed, trying to uproot Loki, to free himself, but he didn't fight often, and the Jotunn was stronger anyway._ _

__"Let me go, Loki. Let me up. Besides, you think I'm so terrible? You know what happens to some of your people, and I'm not like that. I should send you off to one of them until you're a broken and silent little _bitch_ , like a slave should be. What the hell was I _thinking_ , buying a prince," he growled, still writhing._ _

__

__"And why ever should I act humane when you deem me as naught but an animal?" He retorted with a hiss, twisting the horn as Tony spoke such horrible words. "I would advise you not to speak to me in such a way, barbarian, lest you desire a very painful death," he warned, tilting his head and suddenly pushing his knee into a nerve in Tony's leg to render the limb useless for a time. "On the contrary, I could just kill you now and return to my people. Yes, that would be the sound option, wouldn't it?" Pushing the horn in and then upward, the Jotunn sighed. "I fear that even if I spared your life, you would not learn…"_ _

__

__Tony cried out again, grabbing Loki's arm tightly as soon as he could rip a hand free. "Stop..." he coughed, as a little bubble of blood popped in the corner of his mouth. It _hurt_ an obscene amount. "Besides, killing me and leaving would just... get you caught again... except there would be more punishments when you get caught. That horn will take time to grow back, you know that," he growled, still squirming a little to try to pull loose. _ _

__"And if you want to prove me wrong, and prove that you're better than me, then maybe you should act like it and change my mind."_ _

__

__"Oh, darling, I wouldst not be caught again." He chuckled, watching as blood trickled from Tony's wound, staining his clothing beautifully. "Of course the horn shall regrow, but that does not mean that it was not extremely special to me. After so many years of doing this, you humans must have realized by now that our horns are our pride and joy... and yet you continue on foolishly."_ _

__Loki couldn't help but to scoff. "I need not prove my divinity to a mere meat bag," he spat, leaning into the horn tauntingly. "Ah, how about this: I allow you your life, and you treat me as though I am not owned?"_ _

__

__Tony whimpered a little more, falling still. He knew fighting was just making him lose blood faster. "It'll take a long time to regrow. You'd look disgraced if you went back to the wild like that," he pointed out, breathing heavy as the wound started to cause more and more pain. The shock from the stab had worn off, and it was just pain now._ _

__"If I don't act like you're property, we're both screwed. In private, I won't act like you're owned, but you're sort of stuck acting like I own you in public. You're going to have to deal with that."_ _

__

__A smirk slowly found its way to Loki's lips, and he rested upon his prize. "Disgraced? Oh, my, dear. You know naught of my culture." He took a slow breath. "I am the Prince. That shan't change in the eyes of my people, whether I am missing a horn or a limb entirely. My divinity, my royalty--none of it is diminished by the loss of something physical. We are a vastly and spiritually connected race. We adore and rule peacefully, unlike you humans."_ _

__Letting out a small huff, he sat up, grabbing onto the horn's base. "Good enough."_ _

__Tugging the horn from Tony's body, the Jotunn stood from the bed, tossing it at him. "Have fun."_ _

__And with that, he headed for the door._ _

__

__Tony grunted when Loki finally pulled the horn out of the wound, and he put his hand over it, hard, to stop some of the bleeding. He was nothing if not stubborn, however, and he got to his feet quickly, taking the horn with him, and he scuffled around him, leaning against the door._ _

__"Where do you think you're going? You're still stuck here. That doesn't change. I'm just not going to treat you like I own you, even though I do, and there's a number of hellish things I could do to 'thank' you for this," he growled, lifting his hand from his wound a little. There were plenty of ways to punish slaves, and while Tony didn't usually like them, he could make an exception for Loki._ _

__

__Loki paused as Tony blocked his exit, and he heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I am not leaving the house, dimwitted rich man. I require sustenance, and I intend on retrieving it."_ _

__Glancing down at Tony's wound, he scoffed. "A wound worthy of a small bandage among my people. Do attempt to toughen up with me here, darling; for I am assuming you will need the strength if you intend to continue taking me for a fool." A little laugh escaped his lips. "You will not touch me with such _hellish_ plans, Anthony Stark, for you shall be laying dead upon the ground you call home before you are able to do anything to me."_ _

__

__Tony's grip tightened on the horn. "I don't need you taking me for a fool either, but it looks like we're both just going to be disappointed, Loki. Unless you intend to have me take you into my bed as well, don't call me 'dear' or 'darling'."_ _

__He growled a little again, pulling his hand from the wound. "I don't have to lay a hand on you to have you punished for this. It would be more than simple for me to have someone come and get you, and how much does that Jotunn flesh burn under a red-hot poker?" he growled. "I know magic runs more in your kind than it does in mine. If you can heal this, you won't be punished."_ _

__

__"Your bed? Ah, Anthony. You would take me into your bed? I am flattered, ** _darling,_** " he chuckled, grinning almost sweetly._ _

__"Oh, you silly thing. Any human who dares to attempt to lay a hand upon me in a menacing manner is doomed to death; surely you would have realized that by now. T'is a pity they sedated me before taking me in, for I would have eliminated them all."_ _

__Looking closely at the wound, he decided to ignore the chill that ran up his spine at the thought of his skin burning. "Mm.." Reaching out, he hovered his hand over the bleeding laceration, his eyelids fluttering as his magic began to flow. His markings glowed faintly, and once he was finished, he straightened up, shaking his head as if to clear a haze. "There."_ _

__

__"Strange that you're flattered now where you were horrified by the notion before you passed out," he taunted. He hadn't quite wanted the Jotunn in his bed, but now he almost did, if for no other reason than to prove a point. Then again, he'd never said no to a partner in bed before... well, there were a few times, but he preferred not to think of them._ _

__He tightened his grip on the horn in his hand, just a little, as the wound healed, relaxing as the pain ebbed away. "Thank you. At least let me show you around then, so you know where you're going, if you're hungry," he offered, although the tone of his voice should've made it clear that he was going to show Loki around whether he wanted it or not._ _

__

__Grinning to himself at Tony's comment, Loki decided to ignore it; though in the back of his mind, he knew that, at this point, he would not mind allowing Anthony to take him to bed at all, even if it was simply to prove a point._ _

__"Very well," the Jotunn nodded and set to following Tony throughout the manor, knowing he would not have had a choice in the matter, anyway; and oh, how he would have loved to see the look on Tony's face had he refused to follow, though he supposed that he'd stretched the man's limits enough for now._ _

__

__Tony lead Loki through the manor, calmly pointing out some of the rooms and waving in the direction of his own quarters when they passed them. His rooms were just past Loki's, and he was still working out what he wanted to have Loki do. He wasn't exactly keen on being attacked again, so he knew he couldn't get much out of him._ _

__He led Loki to the kitchen, gesturing around the room a little. "There are other ways here, but that's the most popular one. You'll figure more out the longer you're here."_ _

__

__Loki paid particular attention to the layout of the manor as they made their way through it, noting little things here and there--such as where Tony's rooms were._ _

__As they entered the kitchen, Loki took it upon himself to walk through it, opening a cupboard and retrieving an apple. Biting into it with those sharpened teeth, he made a satisfied noise, leaning back against the countertop._ _

__

__Tony raised an eyebrow a little, watching Loki eat, and he jumped up to sit on the counter. "What do you usually eat, exactly? I haven't seen too much of your kind, and it's been a while since I've actually had a Jotunn around," he said, tilting his head to the side. His friends had some, yes, and his father had owned a few, but Tony had been uncomfortable with the idea for a while._ _

__

__Loki took a breath, shaking his raven locks from his face. "We eat fruit, bread, and fish, mostly. Cheese is a rarity, and is considered a delicacy among my kind." He bit into his fruit again, sharp teeth tearing right through it. "The barbarians that capture us feed us naught but scraps of raw, disgusting red meat. I nearly regurgitated it upon my first meal there, if you could call it that." He made a face at the thought._ _

__

__Tony's eyebrow went up a little higher. They didn't even bother to feed them properly? That just seemed... asinine, honestly, how could they expect the captured Jotunn to stay healthy if they were fed something they didn't eat? "Well, that's stupid," he snorted simply. There wasn't much point saying anything else, most likely, given how the Jotunn felt about the situation already._ _

__

__"Indeed, it is," he nearly growled, thinking back on his week's stay in the camps the humans had set up for his people. "I guarantee that, had they fed me what I actually eat, I'd be gone by now. Come to think of it, they more than likely fed us that way so that we wouldn't have the strength to escape…" He turned his bright red gaze over to Tony. "Because if I were at my full strength... you'd be torn in two by now, my darling Anthony." A toothy grin split his features, and he moved back to the refrigerator to grab a package of cheese._ _

__

__At that, Tony's eyes narrowed a little, and he jumped off of the counter. "You say that like I'm some terrible bastard. You know what some humans do to slaves of your kind; I'm not stupid enough to try anything like that with you." Yet. He was working on something - in one of his workshops - that should help him counter some of Loki's natural strength advantage. "Once I get that horn of yours bespelled, you might just find me decent company."_ _

__

__Biting into a slice of cheese, Loki hummed. "I only say it like that because, well," he rolled his eyes a little, "you _did_ buy me as a slave, _as **if**_ I would do any of your bidding." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Honestly, Stark. I am a Jotunn Prince. A higher being than you by far. If you believe that I'll sit here and take orders from you, a petty human, you are **_gravely_** mistaken."  
At the mentioning of his horn, he growled. "It is as if you think a little spell shall counter the master of magic…"_ _

__

__"Ironic, isn't it, that you're the 'higher being' and your race isn't the one in charge," he mused. He knew how easily he could get Loki fired up, if he were to keep speaking of the horn, but he already had a show of the Jotunn's strength, and he didn't care for another one in a kitchen full of knives._ _

__He did, however, chuckle a little. "You have your magic, I have my magician. You have a natural gift, so does he, but he's also dedicated his life to pretty much nothing _but_ that, so..."_ _

__

__"We did not wish to go to war with you. You humans are the ones who stepped in, surprise-attacked, and took over. We are a peaceful people until we are attacked and taken advantage of, you blithering swine!" Loki pinned Tony to the counter, digging his razor-like nails into his shoulders. "You think I have not dedicated my life to my magic? You are more of an imbecile than I thought you were." He dug deeper, aiming to draw blood. "I have dedicated hundreds upon hundreds of years to my magic, and _naught_ else. I could wipe out your puny, moronic race in a day's time, but I never have, because we wished to have _peace_ with you. We wanted harmony. And what did you all do?" He tore at Tony's flesh, tossing him to the floor._ _

__"You barbarians took it upon yourselves to attack, plunder, and destroy!"_ _

__

__Tony cried out when Loki's nails dug into his skin, making a quick mental note to have those claws clipped later. He didn't try to fight, knowing he was outmatched, and wanting to avoid much more pain. He growled a little, however, carefully starting to get up and holding his hand over his shoulder. "How about this, you don't lump me in with the rest of the humans, I'll stop making the mistake of lumping you in with those of your kind that aren't nearly so feisty," he growled, wincing as he rolled his shoulder to assess the damage._ _

__

__Loki watched him carefully, smirking just a little as he noted the blood seeping from the wounds; if the Jotunn was going to be stuck with this buffoon, he wasn't going to leave him without a few scars, that was for sure. "Watch your tone," he hissed, "and perhaps we may get along a bit better."_ _

__Grabbing the cheese, the Prince strode away, right into Tony's rooms. Quickly, he found the man's bedroom, complete with an extremely comfortable-looking bed; and he took it upon himself to snuggle into it, resting back on the fluffy pillows and eating his cheese quietly._ _

__

__Tony followed Loki skeptically, not trusting the Jotunn alone in the house, scowling a little when he saw the creature go into his room. "What happened to not wanting to share a bed with me? Really, would you at least make up your mind, because that's my bed, and I'm not sleeping anywhere else," he said stubbornly, stripping his shirt and examining his shoulder again. He could have tried to order Loki to fix it, but he didn't trust the Jotunn as far as he could throw him, so he just opted to bandage it himself._ _

__

__"This bed is comfortable," Loki murmured through bites of cheese. "I like it." In all honesty, he didn't care whether he slept next to Tony or not: for one thing, he could sleep in a comfortable bed rather than whatever cot he'd be otherwise designated to; and secondarily, he could keep an eye on the man much better this way._ _

__And plus, if things ever got _frisky_ , he'd have all the more reason to stay._ _

__

__"So much for letting the prince have his own space," he said under his breath, shrugging his uninjured shoulder. He didn't care; sure, let Loki sleep in his bed. It took responsibility away from him. If he came to bed drunk, he refused to be held accountable for what he might do to his slave, especially once he had that horn enchanted._ _

__"Fine, I won't argue, but I'm not responsible for what might happen to you if you choose to stay there."_ _

__

__"For what might happen to me?" He repeated questioningly, quirking a brow. He was fairly sure about just what Tony meant by that, but.._ _

__"Do tell, Stark. If I do choose to stay here," he sat up a little, placing the cheese on the bedside table and allowing the blanket to fall down, revealing his lithe chest and torso, "what might _happen_ to me, hm?"_ _

__

__Tony glanced at Loki out of the corner of his eye, refusing to fall for the bait. "Sorry, Loki, I'm a businessman, I'm not about to clarify anything like that, because I refuse to be held accountable," he mused, shrugging the uninjured shoulder again. He very easily could've meant something drunken that the Jotunn was likely to make him regret later, but he knew he had nightmares sometimes, and he had been known to lash out in the middle of the night._ _

__

__Smirking, Loki waved a dismissive hand before settling down in bed once more. He made himself comfortable, snuggling down in the sheets and pillows. "Say what you will; I shall sleep here, regardless." Yawning and revealing two rows of dagger-like teeth, the Jotunn Prince hummed softly. "I am taking a nap, for the past week has been... dreadfully exhausting, to say the least. Join me or leave me; I care not."_ _

__And with that, Loki allowed his eyes to slide closed. As he dozed, he looked fairly peaceful, breath soft and body finally relaxed. He was nearly angelic, in a way, so innocent and lovely that it could have been hard to believe how vicious he really was._ _

__

__Tony glared a little over his shoulder when Loki started to sleep, finishing off the rough bandage job of his shoulder. It was a bit of a pain, to take care of it himself, but he managed. He looked at Loki to make sure he was asleep, then went down the hall, fetching the Jotunn's dismembered horn and took it to his workshop, setting the machines he had to be able to carve the horn into the ornamentation he wanted, staying away for a short amount of time. It didn’t take long before he started to feel some fatigue as well, and he decided to return to his room._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (4) Nei! - No!
> 
> (5) Jeg hater deg. Jeg hater deg.. jeg ha-hater deg.. d-du er en skurk! - I hate you. I hate you, I ha-hate you, you are evil, a monster!
> 
> (6) Jeg vet det - I know.
> 
> (7) De fleste gjør - Most do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Loki (loki-says-kneel) and I would like to thank everyone that's been reading this.
> 
> Again, I apologize, as I know the format is a little tricky, but we're glad everyone seems to like the story so far.

Tony wasn't gone for long, but it was long enough for the sight awaiting him to surprise him.

 

Rather than the serene, at peace Jotunn he'd departed from earlier, Anthony would return to discover Loki in a fit of near hysterics, tears spilling from his bright crimson eyes as easily as water might cascade over a waterfall without any jagged rocks to hinder its flow. His soft blue skin, previously smooth and perfect, was now sticky with the cold sweat he'd broken into during the nightmare he'd had, and his silky raven locks were now tousled and tangled in his state of disarray.

 

It took a moment for Tony to figure out what to do, as he didn't particularly like to see the Jotunn suffering like this. He hadn't particularly enjoyed removing his horn, but it was necessary...  
He approached him slowly, carefully, knowing how much stronger Loki was, and more than afraid of getting hurt again. Tony was gentle, stroking a hand over Loki's hair, avoiding the other horn, shushing him quietly, trying to stay out of range in case he started swinging.

 

Loki stiffened as he was touched, and he made a noise somewhat akin to a weak growl, but he didn't move to attack Tony; in fact, he didn't even react otherwise. He simply continued to weep, face buried in the palms of his hands.

After a while, he'd been reduced to a sniffling, trembling mess, and he lifted his head a little to look at the man beside him. His crimson orbs were wet and glistening with pure agony; his jaw clenched, teeth bared; his body shaking so much that the golden accessories adorning his hair jingled softly.

 

Tony stayed where he was, still calmly and gently stroking the Jotunn's hair, although the sharp teeth bared in his direction made him a little uneasy. "It's alright, relax. I get those too, I know how bad they can be," he said softly, still trying to calm the creature in his bed.

 

It took a few minutes, but Loki calmed down a bit; enough to quit threatening Tony with those teeth, at least. At that point, the hand in his hair began to feel increasingly more comforting--so much so that he leaned into it subconsciously, eyelids closing halfway as he began to purr. It was a soft sound, coming from deep within his throat, and it showed just how content he could eventually become under his Master's touch (though he would stubbornly refuse to refer to Tony with such a title if they weren't in public).

 

Watching Loki start to settle down made Tony smile softly. He knew he was still likely to be a bad guy in Loki's eyes, but at least it had calmed him a little, and he was... almost cute when he was so calm. He moved slowly, getting up onto the bed, next to the Jotunn, still stroking his hair, but finding a spot on the bed to sit on comfortably.

 

Loki shuddered, his purring becoming louder and more prominent as Tony continued to stroke his hair; and as the man climbed onto the bed, the Jotunn gradually slithered closer to him. Soon, he was practically on top of Tony, nuzzling into that gracious hand and pressing his face almost lovingly into the human's chest. He did not growl, nor did he make any threatening moves; he just... purred. He purred, and he nuzzled, and eventually, he settled in Tony's lap, legs wrapping around him, face pushed into the crook of his neck, and hands clutching weakly onto his shirt.

 

Tony let the Jotunn get comfortable, and a little smirk came to his face. He wasn't quite so vicious like this, almost adorable instead, and if Tony wasn't mildly concerned about any possible consequences, he would probably start calling him a kitten, or something like it. He stayed quiet, instead looking over the horn still on Loki's head, curious about the appendage. He reached up with the other hand, considering touching it, but he didn't quite make contact with it.

 

Loki snuggled close, the smallest smile slipping to his features as Tony didn't cease in his petting. His eyelids fluttered, though they did not open, eyelashes brushing as light as trickles of sand over Tony's neck.

Even though the man's hand did not necessarily come into complete contact with the Jotunn's horn, he could still feel it, and a whimper interrupted his purring. He stiffened, shaking a little as if he suspected Tony to rip it off with his bare hands, and his whimpering became more frequent the longer Tony's hand remained so close to his only remaining horn.

 

"Alright, alright, I'm not touching it," he murmured, assuming the Jotunn would hear it clearly thanks to his position on Tony's chest. His hand lowered slowly, over Loki's shoulder and down slowly, to avoid frightening him further. 

Tony was starting to come to the conclusion that he didn't like to see Loki hurting or afraid the way he was. He was more agreeable when he wasn't angry or frightened, which made Tony feel that it was less likely for the Jotunn to attack him.

 

Loki began to relax as soon as Tony's hand moved away from his horn, and his purring continued. He nuzzled the man in gratitude, his own hands moving up to slide around the man's neck, pulling him closer.

After several minutes, the Prince leaned back a little, ridding himself of his golden additions quickly and setting them off to the side in order to become more comfortable; and while he was removing said adornments, it slipped his mind that he mistakenly took off the accessory that covered his neck, revealing a jagged scar for a moment before he went back to snuggling Tony.

 

Tony saw the scar, but he let Loki cuddle up close to him again, and he immediately went back to the calming touches he'd been using. He was quiet for several moments, struggling with the idea of whether or not to ask... 

"Loki...? You don't have to answer, it's not like I can make you, but... what happened to your neck?" he asked quietly, making sure to keep using the soft touches, hoping they'd diffuse any irritation that came with the question.

 

All was well, what with Tony's serene--albeit calloused--hands, the appeasing touches that nearly acted as a sedative for the Jotunn, and the resounding quiet of the room besides Loki's purring.

And then Tony spoke.

Immediately going rigid, the Prince ceased his affections, his purring, even his breathing. Slowly, he pulled back to look at the man whose lap he sat upon, suffering evident in his stare.  
"Recall how absolutely wretched I believe you humans are."

It was all he said, and it was all he needed to.

 

Tony's dark brown eyes narrowed a little, but he nodded and raised his hands peacefully. "Thank you for telling me, at least. You have a reason to dislike us, I know." He wanted to tell Loki that he wouldn't hurt him, but he already had done a considerable amount of damage to the Jotunn. "I won't touch you again, if that would ease your mind at all."

 

Loki pondered over something for a moment before raising one of his hands. "This will not hurt you," he began, voice like silk. "I am only showing you what I cannot put into words."  
Placing his hand on the side of Tony's head, the Jotunn closed his own eyes and projected his magic onto the man.

What Tony would experience would be simple: a white light; a feeling of numbness; and then it would play out in front of him like a movie. Painless, except for the footage shown.

_//It was dusk. The sun was on its way to fully setting, casting a warm, fulfilling glow over the Jotunn civilization. Mothers and their children were just beginning to wash up from their dinners, and soon, most, if not all, of the Kingdom would be snug in bed. The Prince of this nation looked out fondly over his family's domain, a little smile flickering to his lips. Oh, how he enjoyed standing on his balcony and watching his people go about their lives; for it served as a peace-keeper for him. Ever since the humans had decided to edge closer and closer to the Jotunn cities, the Prince had been jumpy, to say the least. With a quiet sigh, he retreated back into his chambers, stripping himself of his robes and settling on his bed to read.//_

_//No sooner had the Jotunn snuggled under his blankets did an alarm ring throughout the Kingdom, rousing his people from their beds and striking panic into their hearts. Loki leapt out of bed, tossing on his armor and sprinting down the mighty stairs of the castle he called home, skidding to a stop once he made it outside. The humans were invading in droves, both on horseback and on foot, and it took everything the Prince had to not slaughter them all with one long spell. Instead, he took to fighting for his nation, cutting down humans with his sword and bow and arrow as if they were naught but bread and butter.//_

_//The fight went on for hours on end, and was still going strong long after the sun had descended below the horizon. The only light in the entire Kingdom came from the humans' torches, and the Prince was grateful for this; for his Jotunn people could see very well in the dark, and so they had a slight upper hand against their barbaric adversaries.//_

_//Nearly halfway through the night, Loki began to get just a little sloppy in his technique--and by this time, his father had already been slain by the humans in his old age of almost three thousand years--and was being cornered by humans. He still managed to fight them off, to a degree, though he sustained many painful injuries while doing so; and he'd almost broken free of their metaphorical hold on him when one managed to slither up behind him and cut his throat with a ridged knife. Gasping, Loki dropped everything, stumbling and coughing and grasping for anything he could to hold himself up; but alas, he fell, wide-eyed and bleeding, and the only thing he saw before he was consumed by blackness was a familiar young Jotunn lad running toward him.//_

_//Loki was awakened by the muttering of spell-casters and medical personnel alike, though it was a collective sigh of relief that caught his attention. Eyes fluttering open, the Prince managed to glance around, for moving his head side to side seemed utterly impossible. "He's alive," someone finally breathed, to which Loki could only smile. He found that he could not speak, either, as it seemed that when his throat had been cut, the knife had severed some very important things--which was what he presumed the spell-casters were then working on. "Put him back to sleep," someone else murmured, "he doesn't need to feel this much pain."//_

_//"Loki? Prince Loki, you must awaken," an all-too familiar voice chimed quietly in his ear; and so he did, turning his head a little and laying eyes upon his most prized apprentice in magic. "Vanaldr," he rasped with a smile, and with the young one's assistance, he sat up. "How fares the Kingdom..?"//_

_//His answer came when he was pulled outside by a fellow magician to view the damage; and immediately, the Prince fell to his knees. His Kingdom, his home, looked more like a long-abandoned city that had been taken up as a poor people's salvation than anything. Tears spilled. "My home," he croaked, shaking his head._

_"They.. will pay. They will.."//_

 

Tony looked more and more appalled and horrified as the images went on. He didn't know what had happened, exactly, but as the saying goes, history is written by the victors. Humanity had wanted to portray themselves as nothing but the victor, they didn't want to show their brutality in conquering the so-called lesser race. He took Loki's hand gently, pulling it slowly away from where it was.

"I'm sorry, Loki. It doesn't excuse it, but I didn't know." His voice was soft, as apologetic as he could manage. It didn't change much, in his eyes, the way things were now... It was how things were. "I would help you if I had any idea how."

 

Loki was shaking, tears silently spilling from his eyes as Tony pulled his hand away. "Vanaldr was captured soon after that," he spoke quietly, eyes cast down at the bed sheets. "I had to inform his mother. She blamed me, you know. For his capture, for his impending death. He, who I saw as a younger sibling, or perhaps even a son. She blamed me." He sniffled. "The Kingdom fell into my hands, as my father was slain in battle. I was to be responsible for picking up the pieces and sewing them back together with the delicacy and preciseness of a master seamstress; and I did what I could for years after that. Years. Years of complete dedication to my Kingdom, or what was left of it." Loki shifted a little, taking his hand away from Tony's. "You did not see much of it in that flashback, but the aftermath…" The Prince bit back a sob. "Thousands laid dead on the ground, and hundreds more laid begging to be killed, for their injuries were so extensive that they would no doubt die in recovery. Buildings were still on fire. My people crawled across the ground, weeping for their dead and injured and for their Kingdom, brought to the ground in an unannounced war. Cities were reduced to towns. Towns to collections of shacks. And I did what I could."

The Prince locked gazes with Tony for several moments, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "And rather than taking care of my people, I now sit here with you. Rather than being the leader I am needed to be, I lay here and weep. And rather than being a father, an older brother, and a would-be-King," he paused, glaring, "I sit, and I weep, and I **_rot_** here in this godforsaken home of yours."

 

Tony gently wiped the tears away, still gentle, slow, and almost caring. "You can help them. Those that still live; you can help them, Loki. You're in a fantastic position to do so. I already don't like the slavery, why do you think you're the only one here? If you're good, I can help you. If you're going to turn anything against humanity, I can't." 

He may have hated what happened to the Jotunn race, to be slaughtered like that, but he had to protect his own. He wasn't royalty as Loki was, but he had a certain amount of power that most respected.

"This can be fixed. You can take care of your people, without slaughtering mine, as I know you want to. Except no one can know we're planning this, if this interests you at all."

 

Loki almost flinched away from Tony's hand, though he managed to remain still. The offer was.. a good one, to say the least, especially since with Tony Stark assisting him, Loki could get nearly anything he could ever want or need. A fine proposition, indeed.

"I will take you there," he murmured, straightening himself. "I will take you to my home. I will show you what has become of it, and…" He sighed softly, leaning closer to Tony and reclaiming his spot in the man's arms. ".... And I will introduce you as a friend. Not a foe."

 

Tony clenched his jaw, business-like demeanor returning. "Whether or not this works is on you. It's not that I don't trust you, but you've already drawn my blood twice today, and I will have that horn enchanted. I won't take advantage of it unless I feel I need to. And I need your word, sworn by whatever you believe in, that you **_will not_** attack my kind. I'll do what I can to help you free your race, but not if you're going to turn around and slaughter us."

"I've only chosen to draw blood from you because you were being an insufferable buffoon," Loki muttered in his own defense. He chose to ignore the comment about the horn, simply growling instead.

"My word that I shall not attack your kind? Anthony," he tsk'd quietly, shaking his head. "Have I not made it clear that I am only trying to protect my own people? They are all I am focused on; I could care less about your race, but.. if I must."

Taking a breath, Loki tilted his head forward, pressing his remaining horn to Tony's forehead. "Jeg gir deg mitt ord," he spoke, accent thick, "på at jeg ikke vil skade dine folk." (8) 

He wasn't expecting a favorable response from the comment about the horn, but he nodded at the oath once Loki had leaned back so he didn't nudge the horn uncomfortably. He knew how sensitive they were. "You made it clear that you wanted to protect your people. If I were in your situation, I would consider wiping out the race that enslaved mine as a first or second action, so forgive me for being cautious."

"And if you happened to be in my situation, you would be thinking much differently," Loki pointed out with a soft sigh. "I do not wish to kill off your race. I only wish that we might possibly live in harmony, despite our differences, and it pains me to know that your leaders are so very unwilling to even try." Giving Tony one last affectionate snuggle, the Prince stood from the bed, once again adorning his golden accessories. "Come, take my hand. I will take you to my people, for I fear that if we wait any longer, chaos may ensue."

Tony stood slowly, flexing the shoulder that Loki's nails had perforated. It stung a little, but he expected it to heal just fine, or he might've complained about it. He wanted to question the prince's sudden affection, although he much preferred it to the violence and the threats. He hesitated only slightly, worried that Loki might actually betray him and take the opportunity to rejoin his people, but he played it off. "I should grab something warmer to wear then."

Loki only chuckled. "Believe me, you will be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (8) Jeg gir deg mitt ord på at jeg ikke vil skade dine folk - I give you my word that I will not harm your people.
> 
> There we go! Until next time~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the delay between chapters three and four. It was mostly unintentional. We currently have about... a total of six or seven chapters written, if I remember correctly, and we'll be working on it more soon. Again, I know the format can be a little tricky to read, but we appreciate the views and comments and kudos, so thank you!

Loki only chuckled. "Believe me, you will be fine." Reaching forward, he took hold of Tony's hand, tugging him close and murmuring a short spell. In moments, they were standing not in Tony's room, but in a damp cave whose opening was shielded by a waterfall. "This is an unknown entrance to a certain part of my Kingdom that the humans have not discovered yet," he explained. "Without the assistance of magicians, it is impossible to get here, and I trust that you'll keep all of this information to yourself." He paused, allowing his words to sink in before he started forward. In his presence, the waterfall parted as if it were a curtain, and he led Tony through and into a part of the city that was strikingly close to the castle.

Upon his arrival, his Jotunn people ceased what they were doing and turned to lay eyes upon him, and almost immediately, the Prince was surrounded by women and children. He smiled, allowing them to touch and embrace him.

 

"It's not like I can show them, so the secret's safe with me," he murmured with a little shrug. He followed Loki, somewhat closely, surprised to see as many of Loki's kind as he did. He knew they were numerous, but still. Tony looked around, keeping Loki in the corner of his eye at all times. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, but it wasn't like Loki didn't have a reason to try to run off. He was a little unnerved, being around this many free Jotunn, given that he owned their prince, at least in the outside world.

 

While the women that surrounded him touched him and kissed his hands, Loki murmured to them softly, a warm and loving smile claiming his features; and he even reached down to pick up one of the children, holding her in his arms and playfully nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "My, have you grown," he grinned, handing her off to one of the women after pressing a gentle kiss to her head.

It was when one of the females noticed his missing horn that near hell broke loose, for as soon as she laid eyes upon the empty space on his head, she began to weep, a loud "aaaaiiahh!" escaping her, and with good reason; for a Jotunn missing a horn could only mean that said Jotunn was owned. Hushing her softly, Loki shook his head, though it was too late: the women around him all took to weeping for him and their Kingdom, for their leader had fallen to the humans, just like the majority of their race.

Sighing softly, the Prince lowered his head, and one by one, the women took to pressing soft kisses to the base of his missing horn. Men began to gather as well, pain evident in their gazes as they did the same. "Please," Loki backed away after a while, straightening. "Please, do not give up so soon. I realize how much of a tragedy this seems to be, but please, listen to me." He beckoned Tony over to him.

 

Tony jumped a little at the shriek, as he wasn't quite looking at the crowd around Loki when the woman noticed his missing horn. He was suddenly very, very glad that he hadn't carved it down yet, because it would've been on his person and paranoia told him that wouldn't go well. 

He was watching curiously when they kissed the prince's head, by what was left of his horn, so he was actually paying attention when Loki beckoned for him, and he walked over slowly, stopping just outside of Loki's immediate reach with a nervous grin at the gathered crowd.

 

Loki quirked a brow at him before reaching out and tugging him close, his hand resting on the man's shoulder. "My friends, my family, my people," he began, voice projecting from his lithe form to reach everyone, even those that stood in the back of the continuously gathering crowd, "hear me, for I have news. This man is Anthony Stark, and he is what you all are guessing." He paused, looking out over his fellow Jotunn. "He is my owner."

Instantly, the people began to wail and holler, though he held up a hand. "Hush, all of you," he demanded, and with his order, they did, though men, women and children alike stood glaring at the human beside their Prince.

"Anthony and I have come to a… mutual understanding of sorts. Friends, he is willing to assist us in our endeavor to live free!"

And the cheering began. Tears spilled; hope began to restore itself in the hearts of the Jotunn people. One by one, they scurried up to Tony, hugging him and kissing his cheeks and draping robes over his shoulders.

 

Tony relaxed slowly, although he tensed under Loki's hand when the prince announced what he actually was. He settled down after the first Jotunn hugged him, aware quite quickly that they weren't going to hurt him if he was going to do what he could to help them. He started to interact with them a little, careful not to let his hands wander as much as he usually might. They were quite sociable, all things considered... there was a human - the human that owned their prince - in their home, and regardless of his offer to help, he hadn't exactly been optimistic. He turned to Loki a bit, letting a smile come to his face. "Your people are charming, by the way."

 

Loki watched from the side, lips curved upward into a proud, relieved smile, and he chuckled at the compliment. "Charming is one way to put it. This is what I've been struggling to tell you, Tony: we are a peaceful people. We will love those who love us, and ask naught in return. The fact that you are willing to help us live free again has put hope and faith in their hearts, and for your efforts, they will do anything to please you. In fact, I do believe a feast is being laid out in your honor." With a grin, Loki adjusted the robes that sat upon Tony's shoulders. "Come. It will not be as marvelous as it could be, for we are short on resources, but it will be a feast fit for a King, nonetheless."

Taking Tony by the hand, the Prince led him through magnificent remains of buildings that would have been half as tall as the castle in their prime, and nearly as beautiful. A long, ceremonious table was already set, and several the Jotunn people rushed over, pulling Tony to the table's head and sitting him down. Loki chuckled, allowing himself to be led by others to a spot next to the human.

 

Tony was visibly impressed by the surrounding architecture. Humans weren't taught much of the Jotunn civilization, just that they were creatures, beasts, and usually shamelessly uncivilized.  
Given the way most humans treated them, he could certainly see why.

He couldn't help but chuckle again when some of the other Jotunn pulled Tony to the table, and he glanced back to make sure Loki was following, smiling when he spoke. There was a hint of sadness to it, remembering what Loki had shown him earlier, and while he was tempted to ask if Loki was actually king, he thought he'd save it for later. 

"I'm sure I'll appreciate it either way. Feasts aren't exactly commonplace for me," he said with a grin and a little shrug. Large social parties, yes. Feasts, not so much.

 

Almost immediately, plates were laid out on the table, containing all sorts of things: different sorts of fish with sauces; assortments of fruits; bread with butter or dipping sauce; salad that was half lettuce, half spinach; cheeses (that were, of course, displayed on golden platters); and various wines. "I do hope you enjoy it," Loki murmured to him, grinning as his people sat and gathered around, though they all waited until Tony and Loki took food before they did.

The feast went on for several hours, full of eating and laughter and all sorts of entertainment that ranged from jugglers to more skilled Jotunn that displayed their magic; and when it was all over and his people were cleaning up, it was dusk.

Upon their imminent departure, the Jotunn people gathered around Loki and Tony once more. "Fret not, everyone," he began, even as Jotunn approached the two of them to kiss their cheeks and embrace them fondly. "We shall return soon enough. Keep your hopes high, and do not forget that I love you."

Grasping Tony's hand, Loki uttered the same spell he had before, sending them back to the man's room.

 

As the feast went on, Tony watched the Jotunn, and while the food itself was much more natural and basic than he was used to, he did find himself enjoying it. The show that went on was good to watch as well, and he let himself get pulled into the spectacle of the evening, just enjoying himself. 

When they were finally leaving, Tony was actually a little sad. He liked Loki's people, in their natural habitat, and he was realizing just how difficult it might be to keep up the idea and the facade of Loki being his slave - or to actually treat the Jotunn owned by anyone he knew as lesser than he was. 

Once they were back in his home, in his room, Tony's smile slipped just a little. "You know... this isn't going to be easy. Have you seen what some of them have become, thanks to my kind...?"

 

As soon as they reappeared in the man's room, Loki began to remove his jewelry, setting it all on a side table. The gold shimmered, even in the dim lighting, and he watched it sparkle as Tony spoke to him. "Believe me, I know," he murmured, expression dropping. "They become bitter. Feral. Untamed. I know." The familiar sensation of tears struck his eyes, though he held them back, turning to look at Tony. "Some of them die because of their human Masters. Some of them kill themselves. Some of them end up on the streets because they're too wild to be used as a slave anymore; and when that happens, they're killed by police that scour the area looking for them, because they are deemed useless." Loki stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and Tony. "I know what happens to them. I know _too_ well."

Pursing his lips, Loki gave a soft sigh before slipping under the bed sheets. "It is late. Shall we rest..?"

 

Tony sighed a little, brushing Loki's hair back, carefully avoiding his horn, when the Jotunn came close to him. "I'm just making sure. The ones I've seen most, the ones beaten into submission... Those are the ones I'm not sure if you've seen," he said quietly, letting Loki step around him and slip into bed. He didn't bother to make another comment about them sharing, as it no longer worried him, and he stepped into his closet to change into something more comfortable to sleep in. He was bare-chested, save for the bandages on his shoulder, in just a comfortable pair of pants, when he reemerged, sliding under the covers on the other side of the bed. "Rest sounds like a good idea," he said, eyes drifting closed slowly. When he actually went to bed, he didn't stay awake for long, habitually.

 

Loki shuddered, sinking down into the bed sheets as he thought of what had become of his people. Sure, he'd seen Jotunn that had been beaten, as it was generally what happened most often, though he despised speaking of it because of how absolutely wretched he believed the act was.

When the Prince finally managed to slip into sleep's iron clutches, he wasn't there for long; soon, he began to become restless, tossing a little as he slept, and then whimpering softly as a nightmare claimed his mind. It was the usual terror containing the memories of having his throat cut, but it horrified him, nonetheless, and his hand shot up to his own neck as if to protect it. Lying on his back, the Jotunn began to claw at his scar, pointed claws nearly digging into the flesh as he gasped and choked.

 

It was easy for Tony to sleep - he usually didn't allow himself time to rest for days, sometimes - so when he hit the mattress, he was usually asleep almost immediately. However, he was usually easily woken, and when Loki started to toss and turn, he woke up quickly, especially to the sight of the Jotunn scratching at his own throat. 

He sat up, shifting under the covers and shrugging them off, grabbing at Loki's wrists to try to stop him. He ended up moving to straddle the creature, pinning his hands down, using the angle to help him. "Loki... Loki, wake up, come on..."

 

Loki made a surprised, fearful noise as he was suddenly pinned, and he struggled to regain control of his limbs. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his head craned back, revealing the full length and severity of the scar to Tony as the man sat upon him. Unfortunately, the Prince would not be roused from this night terror so easily, and he continued to toss and turn and choke, reliving that chunk of memories so vividly that he even made the strangled sounds of blood clogging his windpipe.

 

Tony bit his lip a little, still holding Loki down, but those sounds were so awful, so wretched... Unsure of what else to do, he leaned down carefully, shushing Loki quietly, kissing gently over the scar, at the spots Loki had nearly torn open again, and humming a little lullaby under his breath. He wanted to soothe the Jotunn, to calm him, having seen the event that caused the scar. He wouldn't have let Loki suffer regardless, but still... "Loki... it's alright, it's okay, you're safe," he murmured calmly.

 

As soon as those lips touched his aching neck and that voice hit his ears, Loki stopped with a gasp, tensing. His eyelids fluttered open, though he remained still, uneven breaths gradually calming in his lungs. The tenderness of Tony's actions, those kisses, the soft voice he used, and the fact that he actually made the conscious effort to soothe him caused Loki to blush deeply; and after several moments of serene silence, the Jotunn moved to look at the human above him. He locked gazes with Tony for a while, studying him, though soon, he simply let go, leaning up and kissing the man in desperate gratitude.

 

Tony was glad to see Loki waking, and he slowly pulled his hands away after a moment, no longer finding it necessary to pin him if he wasn't hurting himself. The kiss was a little surprising to him, but he returned it nonetheless, just for a moment, before leaning back brushing a hand carefully through Loki's hair. "You're safe. It's alright, you won't be hurt like that again," he promised softly.

 

Loki couldn't help the small whine that escaped him as Tony pulled away from the kiss, and he almost looked hurt by the fact that he did; like the man had just broken some long-kept tradition, or something along those lines. But, with the human's soft voice, silken words, and tender touch, Loki managed to calm down, though he still twitched a little now and then, for his neck was now sore and stinging from his claws.

 

Tony watched Loki carefully, still straddling him for a few minutes before he realized he was still atop the Jotunn, and he slowly slipped off to the side, taking his spot back on the bed. He was on the side without the horn, fortunately for him, and he extended an arm, beckoning Loki over to curl against him for some sort of comfort, at the very least. "Unless you'd rather stay over there by yourself," he said softly.

 

Loki shuddered with the sudden loss of warmth and weight, and he followed the man's movements with his eyes. At the beckoning arm, he stiffened a little, almost suspecting this to be some sort of test, or perhaps a trap. However, given how Tony had been acting lately..

Hesitantly, Loki scooted as close as he could, curling up with Tony comfortably. Almost immediately, he began to purr, eyelids lowering.

 

Tony wrapped his arm loosely around Loki's shoulders, holding him carefully and stroking his hair rhythmically, as he had been earlier, remembering how comforted the Jotunn had been by it. He let a soft smile come to his face, eyes closing most of the way, waiting to see if Loki would actually fall asleep again, or if he might suffer another nightmare, but he had decided that he like the Jotunn better when he was peaceful.

 

Allowing his eyes to close completely, Loki pressed his face affectionately into Tony's neck, and his purring slowed and softened, as did his breathing. Soon, he was asleep again, snuggled comfortably in Tony's grasp. This time, he was not plagued with a nightmare, but rather a more serene dream, filled with memories from when he and his people lived in peace.

 

Tony continued to gently stroke Loki's hair, watching him calm down, and eventually, he was able to drift off to sleep himself. He never slept easily, but it was a little easier to rest with another body in the bed with him. He slept fairly well for the rest of the night, occasionally stirring, but never enough to wake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter within a week because why not?

Loki barely moved as he slept, only twitching every now and again throughout the night; and when he awakened, he waited for several minutes before he even thought about moving, much too comfortable in Tony's arms to do anything. When he did move, however, he was careful, not at all wishing to rouse the man. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from the human, simply thinking, when the previous night's events struck his mind. He frowned a little, focusing particularly on how Tony had so very quickly broken the kiss; for such a rejection was considered finite among his people, which upset him... especially with his very first kiss.

 

It wasn't long until Tony woke up, but he usually awakened slowly, so he slowly started to notice that Loki wasn't curled up to his side anymore. One dark eye blinked open slowly, noticing the Jotunn on the side of the bed, and he let out a grumbly little sigh, like he wanted to ask but he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to know. He did, though, and he knew that. He closed his eyes again, sighing for the second time in as many minutes. "What's on your mind, Loki?"

 

Loki swallowed hard once Tony awakened, pursing his lips and just waiting for him to speak; and when he did, he remained silent for what seemed like several minutes. When he did speak, it was soft, and... eerily calm.

"You've rejected me," he replied, head dipping forward a little. "Last night. The kiss. In my culture, ceasing something so meaningful so early is considered to be rejection… and so I sit and I ponder."

 

Tony groaned a little as he sat up, stretching to free himself from the stillness of sleep, scooting over to sit next to Loki. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, ducking his head lower to look Loki in the eye when he spoke. 

"I didn't know that. I broke it off because you'd just come out of a nightmare, Loki... I didn't want to let myself do something. Not that you were vulnerable... but you were a bit vulnerable. How does your neck feel?"

 

Loki hummed quietly, running a hand through his own hair. "My neck... stings a bit. It will be fine," he murmured, pressing the pads of his fingertips to the scar softly before allowing his hand to fall.

Looking at the man that sat next to him, the Jotunn took the time to study his expression, posture, and the like, to determine his mood; and with a small sigh, he looked away. ".... Was my first kiss," he mumbled almost intentionally too softly, clenching his jaw.

 

Tony stiffened slightly. He'd known that the Jotunn was... quite innocent, but he didn't know that. "I'm sorry," he said softly, leaning over to gently nudge Loki with his shoulder. "I told you when you got here that I wouldn't do something to hurt you, or take advantage of you... The way I saw it, last night... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin it like that."

 

Loki couldn't help but to let a gentle smile curve his lips. "I'm fairly sure that you were not aware," he murmured quietly, shifting and moving so that he laid across Tony's lap, head resting on his abdomen. "In my right mind, I would not expect you to return it, anyhow. After all, the humans that use my kind as sex slaves do not kiss them, for kissing is a sign of ultimate affection. At least... among my people, it is."

 

"It's usually more affectionate, yes..." He trailed off, again starting to stroke Loki's hair when the Jotunn settled on his stomach. Almost unbidden, the thought of the Jotunn's lips on his own came back to his mind, thinking of the feeling, both of those cool lips and the feeling of the prince's body under his own, but he quickly bit his tongue to dismiss the thought. "I would, you know..." he mumbled quietly, refusing to clarify his meaning.

 

Loki nuzzled into the hand as it stroked his hair, smiling a bit and allowing his nearly signature purr to rumble within his chest; and he only stopped when Tony spoke, curiosity washing through him like a rising tide. He waited for a moment to see if the man would possibly go on, though when he didn't, the Jotunn lifted his head. "You would… what..?" He asked softly, brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean, Anthony?"

 

Biting his tongue again, he shook his head just a little. The only time he'd ever touched one of the Jotunn slaves, he'd been drunk, and he didn't want to let that happen again. He propped himself up on one elbow, still gently stroking Loki's hair. "I would. Kiss you again, if you wanted, or more. Regardless of what I said yesterday, but in my defense, we were sort of at each other's throats yesterday."

 

Loki stiffened a little at Tony's words, a heated blush taking over his lovely features. The _or more_ part was what got the wheels turning in the Jotunn's head, for he'd never before even thought about partaking in such an act until he'd found a suitable mate fit to be a Queen alongside him, but that hadn't happened yet... and Tony...

Slithering off of the man's lap, Loki lay down on his back and tugged him close, tangling lithe blue fingers into his hair as he claimed another kiss.

 

Tony was a little surprised, not expecting the Jotunn to move him like that, but he accepted it easily, kissing Loki back slowly and easily, letting him guide it, regardless of his inexperience. He shifted his weight, settling his hips between Loki's legs carefully, letting one hand settle on his hip, calloused fingers brushing over the skin, moving up and down slowly over the Jotunn's side.

 

Loki led the kiss the only way he knew how: deeply; passionately; lovingly; and meaningfully. His legs parted for the man as he moved in, even wrapping them snuggly around him, if only to pull him closer. The feathery touches to his side were enough to bring small noises from him, little whimpers and such sounds that made even the Prince shiver. Craving more, he freed one of his hands and wrapped that arm around Tony, pulling him so that their bare chests pressed flush together.

 

Tony nipped gently at Loki's lip, feeling desire start to race through his blood from the little sounds emanating from the prince. His hand started to wander, moving over various parts of the Jotunn's abdomen, tracing over the markings of his skin as well as slowly learning the ridges of muscle of his body, never letting a touch become inappropriate, not quite yet. He didn't break the kiss this time, letting the Jotunn control that much, at least.

 

Loki's eyes rolled a little, every touch sending a different spark through his body. He never knew the markings on his skin--those dark, curving lines that mapped out along every one of his body parts--would be so very sensitive to the touch, and oh, did it feel lovely. The kiss remained deep and slow, and a large shudder rolled up and down his spine.

 

After a few moments, Tony started to nearly run out of breath, making the kisses quicker and a little shallower, but not pulling away completely for fear of upsetting the Jotunn again. His touches started to roam more, moving slowly down the outside of Loki's thigh, but still remaining essentially innocent.

 

Loki mewled as a certain brush of Tony's fingers sent a jolt through him, the noise soft and innocent. He gasped against Tony's lips, arms moving to wrap around his Master. "A-Anthony," he breathed, legs lifting a bit.

 

Tony chuckled, moving his lips down gently over Loki's neck, down over the scar and back up the opposite side. "You don't need to use my full name, you know. Tony will work just fine," he murmured against a mark over Loki's chin before he leaned back. He only pulled away for a second, before slowly kissing over the marks that moved down Loki's chest, until he could swipe his tongue over a nipple gently.

 

Loki swallowed thickly, a dark blush tinting his blue cheeks. "I-I... alright, T-.. Tony," he let the name roll off of his tongue in his lovely accent. He arched into the kisses to his chest, gasping and craning his head back as Tony's tongue lathed over his nipple. "O-Oh," he murmured in surprise, allowing one hand to move up and clutch into the man's hair.

 

The little noise made Tony smirk, and he slowly kissed his way back up Loki's throat. "I would love to just take my time, kiss and lick and nip over your entire body, my gorgeous prince," he purred softly, grinding his hips against Loki's. His voice was a little unsure, as he really didn't know how Loki would take to Tony calling him that.

 

Loki was shaking, breaths a little heavy on his lungs. Those words made him mewl, for he'd never heard something so wonderful and so dirty at the same time, especially when it was directed at him. "G-Gorgeous... Pr-... Prince," he repeated breathlessly, eyelids fluttering and opening just a little to look at the man above him.

 

"Is it okay if I call you that? My gorgeous prince?" he asked, repeating the term quietly, kissing Loki's jaw once before he leaned back enough to look the Jotunn in the eye. He liked the reaction it brought, either way, but he didn't want to upset the creature if he could avoid it.

 

Loki bit into his own lip. "Y-You know... if I didn't know better, I would most definitely say that you are developing a certain amount of… affection... for me," he teased shakily, catching Tony's gaze. "I would not mind you calling me that."

 

Tony smiled softly. "It could be worse than affection. We could still be like we were yesterday. Is this really so bad?" he teased back, letting the smile grow with Loki's permission to use the little pet name. He leaned back a little after a moment, sighing softly. "We don't have a lot of time to do this today, Loki. I have work that needs to be done. And..." And the Jotunn's horn. It was likely done by now, and if that didn't kill Tony's mood almost entirely, he didn't know what would.

 

"I never said this was bad," he muttered stubbornly, watching Tony with glimmering and focused eyes. ".... O-Oh." His expression dropped, and after a moment's hesitation, he slipped out from underneath Tony, slipping out of the room and slithering into the kitchen. Immediately, he went for the fruit, needing to keep his mouth occupied so that he wouldn't say anything.

 

Tony swore under his breath when Loki slipped out from under him. Of course he'd ruined it by opening his damn mouth... Regardless, he got up, getting dressed before he went to find Loki. It wasn't hard to find him, honestly.

"I upset you again," he said softly, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning on the doorframe. It shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did.

 

Loki ceased chewing as Tony spoke, though he continued after several moments, only so that he'd be able to swallow. "You haven't upset me. Well, not directly." The Prince sighed, twirling his apple in his hand. "It's the reason we don't have time that bothers me," he began, gaze dropping. "My horn is no doubt ready by now--or it will be soon. Do not play coy."

 

"As much as I would prefer to spend all day in bed with you, nothing here pays for itself and I do actually have to work," he said, bristling slightly. He did actually have work to do, but he didn't really want to, especially given what he could've been doing instead. "However, if you'd rather roam the house to familiarize yourself with it, rather than watch me finish with your horn, I can't say I'd blame you for that."

 

Returning to his apple, Loki gradually turned away as Tony spoke, surveying his surroundings. "I am surprised at you, Anthony," he murmured with a small sigh. "After all that has happened thus far--all we have said, all I have shown you--you still stubbornly insist upon carving and enchanting my horn." He frowned somewhat deeply, taking a rather vicious bite of the fruit in his hand. "Color me bothered."

 

Tony pulled one hand from his pocket, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The only enchantments on it are basic, what the Doctor put on it when he removed it. I'm not going to do anything else with it. There are appearances we both need to keep up if I'm even going to be able to help you." He watched Loki take a bite, simultaneously rubbing his hand where the Jotunn had previously bitten.

 

Loki hissed quietly, swallowing what he had in his mouth. "I... suppose." The Jotunn turned back to Tony, a forced sigh tossing his hair a little. "It doesn't please me--not by far--but... I suppose you are right in that we both need to keep up appearances. However..." He slithered closer, setting the apple on the counter and only stopping when their lips were just barely touching. "If you dare to use my horn against me," he whispered, one hand trailing slowly up Tony's body, "then I may just have to use something of yours..." His hand hovered over the man's heart, his magic straining the muscle until it pained Tony to breathe, "...against you."

Letting the magic go, Loki then disappeared, having teleported back into bed.

 

Tony gasped and gripped the doorframe when he found it hard to breathe, starting to realize just how few limits there were to Loki's strength with his magic. He couldn't wrap his head around it properly, since he wasn't a magician, nor had he ever possessed a gift for anything but inventing or engineering. When the Jotunn disappeared, Tony took a few minutes to remember to breathe, settling down slowly. He took a cup of coffee with him, heading for his workshop. 

The horn had been carved down by a few of his machines overnight, and the most noticeable piece was a pendant, against a metal backing on a dark chain, once he completed it. He had no intention of using the enchantment against Loki unless he had to, if something significantly horrible happened. 

He stayed away from the bedroom for a while, losing track of time as most of the day disappeared as he stayed in his workshop, going so far as to test parts of Loki's horn to try to understand his magic while he waited on other projects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for characters who are essentially nymphomaniacs with conflicts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the tag that said something about intersex Loki? Genitalia goes: penis, ladybits, with a small pair of testicles behind that. You need to know this because smut is a thing that happens here, so enjoy!

For the former part of the day, Loki remained in bed, sleeping soundly and mostly peacefully. Luckily, his nightmares did not plague him, and so he awoke with a smile, stretching for several minutes before he stood. Soon, the need to wash up overtook him, and he wandered into the bathroom, a quizzical expression tainting his features. This was so... foreign. With a slight groan of discomfort, he headed over to the shower, deducing that water would spray from the overhead nozzle and allow him to wash himself, and so he undressed and prepared himself; however, upon stepping into the shower and experimentally turning the water on, the Jotunn turned it too far, resulting in a sudden increase in temperature. Letting out a blood-curdling cry of pain, Loki scrambled out of the shower and onto the floor, jaw clenched hard as he suffered through burns to his sensitive, cool skin.

 

One of the human workers in the house heard the scream, but knew better than to go into any of Tony's private rooms on her own. She rushed to his workshop, and it took a few moments to get his attention, but he managed to nearly break his shin on one of his tables as he rushed out of his workshop, limping lightly as he hurried to his room, finding Loki on the floor.

"Dammit... Loki, gorgeous, are you alright?" he asked, crouching down next to the prince, reaching out like he wanted to touch him, but changing his mind.

 

Loki was groaning and moaning, body trembling as it tried--and failed--to cope with the torturous temperatures he'd accidentally plagued himself with. His skin, now blotched with pink and red spots from the burns, practically hissed as the water tore away at his outer layer, and as soon as Tony was close enough, the Prince clutched onto his arm desperately, pained sounds emitting from his throat. He begged in Norwegian, unable to formulate anything in English in the state he was in, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Takk," he cried, voice broken. "Vennligst gjør det Stopp!" (9)

 

Tony swore again, repeatedly, holding the hand on his arm gently. He knew first aid for a burn, on a human, anyway, but he wasn't exactly positive what to do for the Jotunn. He got to his feet, grabbing a towel and soaking it in cold water - avoiding the hot knob entirely - then crouched down to Loki again. "It's cold, det er kaldt, I promise," (10) he said, slipping the Norwegian in to make sure he would be heard and understood as he quickly put the cold towel over the burnt skin.

 

Loki whined, holding Tony's arm in desperation and trying to tug him back toward him as he stood to leave. He couldn't hold on, however, for his fingers were stinging and slick with water; and so he simply watched the man as he wet a towel.

Untrusting of the foreign object, the Prince attempted to scoot away, even with Tony's promise in Norwegian--he was already confused and in a considerable amount of pain, thus he didn't necessarily approve of human objects nearing him at this point--but as the towel came into contact with his burning skin, he let out a low hiss of slight relief. ".... Takk.."

 

"Shh, shh, it's okay. It's okay, Loki. I'd put the water on cold and drag you in there, but I don't think you'd let me. Would more cold help? Ice? Something?" he asked, still not entirely sure how to treat a burn on skin so much colder than his own. He removed the towel after a moment, folding it a different way to keep the coolest parts on Loki's skin at all times.

 

Loki looked over to the shower for a few moments, then to Tony, then back to the shower. He whimpered a little, weighing his options, and eventually, he just sighed. Lifting a shaking hand, he pointed to the shower, knowing that this would get done much faster if Tony was able to make the water cold rather than scorching on his skin.

 

Tony nodded, kissing the top of Loki's head gently, glad he'd tucked the pendant with the piece of horn under his shirt, or it might've hit Loki in the face. He stood, turning the water on cold, then held his hand under it for a moment before going back to the Jotunn, pressing his own cold hand against his skin. "Is that alright?"

 

Loki shivered at the kiss, though he didn't react otherwise, only wanting relief at that point; and as Tony returned with that cold hand on his skin, he nodded quickly. "Ja," he breathed, gripping the chilled hand and having Tony help him to stand. He limped over to the shower, staring at it uneasily for a few minutes. ".... Hurt… me...?"

 

"It won't, this time. I should've told you that, but it didn't occur to me... I'm sorry, it won't hurt you this time, I promise," he said softly, helping Loki to his feet and helping him over to the shower. Somehow, his touches managed to stay innocent, regardless of the Jotunn's state of undress, one hand on his arm and one hand on his lower back, just to support him.

 

Loki swallowed hard, once again exchanging glances with Tony before he reached out, hesitantly sticking a hand into the water. He hummed and leaned further, soaking his forearm and hissing at the clash between hot and cold. Using Tony as a support, he climbed in, letting out a low groan as the chilled liquid flowed over his body and soothed his skin. However, since he was unable to support himself, he tugged at Tony for assistance, even though he was still wearing clothes.

 

Tony was hesitant to join Loki in the water, knowing how easily he could get himself sick, but he let the Jotunn tug him in. He stayed out of the flow of the water as much as he could, still doing what he could to hold Loki up. "Better already?" he asked, smiling a little as the Jotunn seemed to start to relax under the cold water. "The knob on the left is for cold. Right is hot. I'm sorry, I really should've thought to go over that with you."

 

Loki hummed and purred as the water helped his skin to heal itself, the chilled temperature doing wonders for him. "Jaaaa," he drew out the word, eyes closing a little as he tilted his head back. "Left.. cold," he repeated quietly, subconsciously touching the correct knob. Surely, he would not forget. Not after this.

As time went on, Loki gradually came to, becoming more and more aware of his surroundings--and the fact that he was naked, while Tony was not. Normally, this would be completely fine, for in Jotunnheim, everyone used the springs to wash, but.. the fact that he was what the humans called "intersex" was a bit discouraging, because he knew humans naturally had only one form of genitalia. Not both.

Becoming strikingly self-conscious, the Prince turned a little, a deep blush turning his cheeks rosy.

 

Tony was making an effort not to look like he was freezing, and he couldn't quite keep himself from looking over Loki's body."You are incredibly beautiful, you know," he murmured when Loki looked away, unsure of why the prince was blushing, before he looked down and remembered he was still dressed, where the Jotunn was bare. "Would it make you any more comfortable if I was undressed too?" he asked quietly after a moment.

 

The comment only made him more self-conscious, and he shut his eyes tightly, quite able to feel Tony's eyes as they seemed to rake over his bare form; and at Tony's question, he whimpered a little, nodding quickly. He felt sort of bad, able to detect Tony's body temperature--he knew well that a human's body had to be heated to just the right degree in order for it to remain functioning properly and efficiently--but he didn't think he could sacrifice even one chilly degree of water.

 

Tony leaned forward, just a little, kissing Loki's cheek before stepping out of the shower. He stripped his wet clothes - they'd gotten soaked, regardless of how he'd tried to keep them dry - and the pendant with the piece of Loki's horn, before stepping back into the shower, fighting the urge to shiver and shake in the temperature. He could handle this, as long as he gave himself the opportunity to soak in a hot bath after.

 

Loki whimpered as lips pressed to his cheek, watching as Tony stepped out and undressed. His blush deepened, if that were even possible at this point, as he viewed the man's nude form, eyes following him as he returned. Pursing his lips, the Prince leaned forward, reaching out and touching Tony's shoulder, simultaneously casting a spell on him that warmed his body despite the freezing water. Smiling just a little, he moved in, snuggling into the human's arms.

 

Tony smiled, grateful for the spell, especially glad to feel that it could cause him something other than the pain inflicted when Loki used his magic to take his breath away earlier in the day. He slipped his arms around the Jotunn's waist, holding him a little closer. "I'm still sorry, I should have told you about the water ahead of time," he said softly, kissing the side of Loki's neck.

 

Loki nuzzled his head against Tony's, purring softly and pressing as close as Tony would allow. He rolled his eyes at the man's words, shaking his head a little. "Do not be. You had not the time, nor a reason," he reasoned, shrugging just a bit.

The lips that pressed to his neck caused him to shudder, and immediately, he craved more, pushing closer still and returning the gesture by kissing the human's collarbone.

 

Tony relaxed a little at the gentle kiss on his bare chest, humming softly as his hands trailed and started to move, again familiarizing himself with the body in his arms. It was all gentle and subtle, little touches to gauge reactions and learn sensitive spots. He kissed the scars over Loki's throat again, moving down to his collarbones, slowly pushing the Jotunn back against the wall, lips and teeth testing and tasting the blue flesh bared for him.

 

Loki shivered as hands began to wander, leaning into the touches and making little noises as Tony managed to find sensitive spots; and that, paired with the kisses and nibbles to his skin made him close his eyes and nearly mewl. As his back pressed against the cold wall, Loki gasped softly, arms wrapping around the human before him and tugging him ever closer as his blood began to race through his veins. "Takk," he begged breathlessly, pulling Tony's head up for a deep, bold kiss.

 

He had started to speak when he was pulled into a kiss, hands settling on Loki's hips as he returned it. The human was more than eager to kiss Loki back, as well as to see the Jotunn's reactions to the touches. "You are beautiful... my gorgeous prince..." he murmured softly against Loki's lips, aware that he could hardly get away with calling him such a thing in public. Not that he minded, of course, as he didn't want anyone else to see the look it brought to Loki's face when he was called that.

 

Loki whimpered, one hand sliding up slowly to tangle into Tony's hair. He trembled a little, having never before experienced such a thing as this, or even thought about it; and so he wasn't sure if what he was doing was considered to be correct or incorrect.

Beauty was not something a Prince generally had to worry about, for one was usually dressed in so much gold and so many fancy, beautiful garments that they were made beautiful. To actually be called a thing of beauty without wearing his normal garb?

**_That_** was breathtaking.

So breathtaking that Loki had to take a moment to think about how to breathe.

 

Tony hummed softly, quite enjoying the fingers in his hair. He didn't say anything against it, figuring that would be enough to say he didn't mind it. He nudged Loki's jaw softly, kissing down the markings on his throat. "Breathe, gorgeous, it'll help," he teased softly. Calloused fingers moved down slowly from the Jotunn's hips, tracing the lines of his form and slowly moving in, moving his fingers again up the inside of Loki's thighs, stopping before he touched anything too intimate.

 

Loki's eyelids fluttered and his head tilted to the side as kisses were pressed to his throat. taking Tony's toying advice, he took a shuddered breath, running his tongue over his lips out of habit.

The nearly torturous touches to his thighs made him groan, brow furrowing and his eyes squeezing shut; for he could feel himself growing hard with the anticipation, and oh, was that embarrassing, especially since he didn't have the mind to look down to see if Tony was aroused at all.

 

Tony's hand moved up slowly, fingers tracing gently over the outline of Loki's growing hardness, smirking a little against his throat. "Someone's a little excited, hm? What would you like me to do, Loki?" he said softly, voice dropping to a low, sultry purr. He was aroused by the sight of Loki like this, of course, although he had significantly more practice controlling his body's reactions.

 

Loki gasped in surprise as fingers touched his ever-hardening cock, and his cheeks reddened so much it was almost as if he'd suffered burns there, too.

"A-Anthony," he breathed, head craning back against the wall. "P-… Please..." With a flicked wrist, they were in bed, dry and still unclothed. Tony hovered over him, of course, and the Prince tugged him close to whisper to him--because whispering was all he could manage.

"Show me... wh-what it's like," he pleaded quietly, "to be… mmh… t-to be granted the most pleasurable form of physical contact..." His lips pressed to Tony's, and he spoke against them. "Please… show me what it's like... to be _**loved**_..."

 

Tony was a little surprised by the change, but he appreciated it, especially with Loki as inexperienced as he was. "I'll give you what you want, Loki, don't worry," he said softly, against Loki's lips. He was still gentle, still just touching, moving his fingers over the one part of the Jotunn that was normally covered. The only other time he'd been in bed with one of Loki's kind, he'd been drunk enough to impair his memory, and he wanted to get familiar with the body beneath him a little.

 

Loki, relieved with that answer, rested his head back against the bed and let his eyes close. Those fingers--the ones that he was beginning to adore more and more--on his uncharted skin felt absolutely magnificent, albeit completely foreign, and if it weren't for the fact that Tony had done a one-eighty turn from asshole to perhaps the man he'd remain with, this would be a completely different situation. His hips urged forward a little, twitching every now and then, and he actually began to tremble in apprehension.

 

Tony's calloused fingers brushed over Loki's opening, tracing each part of his anatomy slowly before one hand he slowly pushed one finger into Loki's body, already groaning quietly in anticipation of being inside the Jotunn beneath him. "Is this where you want to feel me, gorgeous?" he asked softly, taking one of Loki's hands. He guided it down, over Tony's side and hip until the Jotunn's hand was on the human's hardened manhood, since Loki wasn't looking.

 

Loki's eyes blinked a little as Tony's fingers brushed over his opening, and as a finger slid into him, he gasped, eyelids snapping open wide before closing tightly again. He let out a shaky, almost frightened moan, so very unused to the feeling. "J-Ja," he responded in a short breath, allowing the human above him to guide his hand wherever he pleased; and when it came into contact with what was to be inside of him, he swallowed. Hard.

Habitually, he stroked Tony, knowing it would bring him some sort of pleasure while the man worked his entrance.

 

Tony exhaled shakily, grateful for the touch, moving his hand slowly, simulating thrusting into Loki with just one finger. "It's okay, gorgeous. If you need me to stop, tell me," he said softly, kissing over the side of Loki's neck. After a moment, he slowly worked another finger into Loki, starting to fill him slowly.

He leaned away after a moment, reluctantly pulling away from Loki's hand and sliding down the Jotunn's form, pressing kisses over his body as he went, until he reached Loki's erection and carefully pulled it into his mouth.

 

Loki couldn't help himself: he moaned and he gasped; his body arched and his limbs trembled; his hips rolled into the "test" thrusts, craving more; and his hand became more desperate on Tony's cock. It came as a surprise when the human above him pulled away from his willing hand, and his eyes fluttered open so that he could watch Tony kiss down his body and then take him into his mouth. The sudden warmth made him cry out brokenly, pleasure nearly overwhelming his senses.

 

Tony smirked a little around Loki, slowly starting to bob his head and thrust his fingers into the prince at the same time. He still didn't move quickly, but his fingers sought out any place that might make Loki's cries louder, that might make him feel even more pleasure. He wanted to remark on how much he enjoyed the little sounds that Loki was making, but instead he just watched quietly, dark eyes half-closed as he continued to work on learning what Loki liked.

 

Loki was absolutely unable to hold back the pleasured moans and cries that bubbled up in his throat, no matter how hard he tried; and so he simply let them out, tossing his head back at times and tangling his fingers into the man's hair. "P-Please," he begged quietly, a low whine escaping him. "D-Do not make me wait... a-any longer... Anthony, please-!"

 

Tony lifted his head slowly, sliding a third finger into the body beneath him. "I told you not to call me Anthony, Loki..." he purred, teasing unnecessarily. Without giving Loki a chance to correct it, he captured another kiss - the first he'd actually initiated - kissing him slow and deep as he carefully removed his fingers, grinding his hips against the Jotunn's slowly.

 

"B-But, I--" He was cut off, of course, by those absolutely fantastic lips upon his own. He returned it, as always, introducing his tongue a bit prematurely, though he was desperate for this, and so he didn't particularly care; and as soon as those hips began to roll and grind on his own, he practically lost himself, wrapping his legs around the man and tugging him near. His hands recklessly roamed for something to grab onto, and they settled for Tony's shoulders as he prepared himself mentally for what he knew was to come.

 

Tony kept his wits about him better than Loki did, naturally, still letting Loki control the kiss. He reached between them, putting a hand on his own length, using it to guide himself to slowly push into Loki's body, groaning against the prince's lips. It was a strange feeling, as there was a distinctive amount of heat, but also a chill that went with Loki's skin, and the combination was fantastic. He was slow, and he didn't move for a moment once his hips were flush against Loki's, giving him a moment to adjust.

 

Loki shivered as Tony's head first pressed against him, and as it pushed in and began to fill him, he held his breath, letting out short groans here and there when it was painful. He adjusted rather well, though there was still a bit of pain--but not enough to where he wasn't used to it after Tony allowed him that bit of time to get used to it. Swallowing thickly, the Prince nodded to the man above him, letting him know that it was alright to move.

 

Tony smiled softly, scattering little kisses over the side of Loki's neck after he nodded, starting to rock his hips slowly, giving the prince shallow thrusts to start. He was gentle, remembering the spots that Loki had liked when the human was using his fingers, and while his thrusts were still short and shallow, he tried to find them if he could.

 

As Tony began to thrust within him, Loki felt a shudder roll up his body from his toes to his shoulders. This was... everything he'd hoped that it would be and _**more**_ , and they had barely gotten started. "M-Mmm-... M-More," he begged, claws scraping a little against Tony's shoulders as he began to roll his own hips into the thrusts.

 

It took Tony a moment to process the simple word that came out of Loki's mouth, but he complied, deepening his thrusts, speeding up just enough to be noticed. He shifted his weight, leaning just slightly to one side to free a hand, tracing the marks on Loki's chest with his fingertips until his hand was down by the Jotunn's hip, so he could stroke him with the thrusts.

 

Loki clenched his jaw, holding the inevitable back with everything he possibly could. His breathing had long since become irregular, but with the change in Tony's thrusting, he became a little louder. The feathery touches to his chest did not go unnoticed, and he moaned and even cried out as the human above him began to stroke him; and he suddenly knew what his Jotunn brethren had meant when they said sex was the best of both worlds. "I-I'm... w-w-warm," he gasped, referring to the ever-growing heat within his lower belly. "Feels…" He gulped. "F-Feels g-… good.."

 

Tony's thrusts became just the slightest bit more intense, striving to push Loki over the edge. He wanted to see what would happen, to hear it and feel the Jotunn come apart around him. "If it feels good... then just let go. I know you know what I mean, my gorgeous prince," he purred, kissing Loki's jawbone and nipping along it slightly. His hand moved faster, doing what he could to bring Loki's climax faster.

 

Loki's eyes nearly rolled back into his head. Let go. Just let go, Tony had said. Surely he didn't mean… so soon?

However, he didn't have any room to say anything, for in less than a minute after that, he was practically screaming with his orgasm. His feminine portion tightened around the human within him while his seed leaked from his cock, and it lasted for a good bit before he finally calmed. Panting, Loki blinked his eyes open slowly, his cheeks red and his expression so adorably flustered that it was nearly too innocent to be true.

 

Tony was a little surprised, as Loki's orgasm lasted as long as it did, but it gave him an opportunity to thrust a little more recklessly into the Jotunn until it brought about his own climax as well, spilling into him with a bite to the unscarred side of Loki's neck. He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but he wanted to leave a little mark, something that said the Jotunn was his, aside from Tony wearing his horn.

 

Once he'd calmed down enough to think and speak clearly, Loki caught Tony's gaze, looking into dark chestnut eyes with his own crimson ones. He smiled a little, attempting to even out the awkward silence that had take over. Subconsciously, he reached up to feel the bite mark, making a little noise of surprise as his fingers ran over the indents. The claim mark made his heart flutter, and as much as he tried not to show it, he couldn't help but to purr and tug Tony in for cuddles.

 

Tony shifted, pulling his length from between Loki's legs, using the Jotunn's grip on him to turn them to the side, allowing Loki to cuddle up to him. It was comfortable, and while he still wasn't exactly sure why he'd made the claim mark on Loki's throat, he liked having the Jotunn in his arms. "You didn't think this would happen when we met, did you," he murmured softly, nuzzling against Loki gently.

 

Loki continued to purr, the sound rumbling in his throat, as Tony moved them. The comfort and satisfying warmth that came from cuddling the human was absolutely lovely, and he pressed closer, nuzzling his face into Tony's neck. "Not at all," he whispered, his lips brushing against the human's skin as he spoke. The affection coming from Tony was heart-swelling, and it gave him hope that perhaps the man felt the same way about him as he did for the engineer.

 

Tony was fighting with himself a bit, internally. He didn't usually like to stay in bed like this, wrapped around whoever his current paramour was, but he couldn't leave Loki alone, not at the moment. He could practically feel the affection in the Jotunn's touch, and it made him want to run, and all he could really do at the moment was fall still and just continue to hold the creature against his chest.

 

Loki eventually began to doze, falling still against Tony and breathing softly against his skin; and after about ten minutes, Tony carefully slipped out of the Prince's grasp, for there was still work to be done. He got dressed and slipped the medallion around his neck, silently slipping from the room, heading again to his workshop. There were things to be done, as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, poor Loki got burned. Norwegian time:
> 
> (9) Takk, Vennligst gjør det Stopp - Please, please make it stop!
> 
> (10) Det er kaldt - It is cold.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is a bit bloody. You have been warned.

It was several hours before the Jotunn awoke, though when he did, his brow furrowed, for Tony was gone and he felt unnaturally lonely. Frowning, he sniffled just a little and magicked his clothing to his form, getting out of bed and heading out into the halls.

Soon enough, he came upon a maid, who seemed to act very.. cautious around him. She scowled a bit, shooing him at first as if he were a dog, to which he replied with a feral growl of defiance. Thinking he would be submissive like the rest of the slaves she'd encountered in her days, she rolled up a newspaper and swatted at him with it, shouting at him to get out of the hallway an back to his "post." At the assault, Loki let out a loud snarl, slashing at her with his claws and successfully slicing open her arm. "Do not treat me as if I am below you, woman," he hissed, "for I am more than you could ever _wish_ to be. Remove yourself from my presence before I open more than just your veins."

 

A few of the other humans in the house heard the sound, another maid and a couple of men from the kitchen. The kitchen-workers came out, one wielding a torch used in the kitchens, the other with a rolling pin that he wasn't afraid to brandish in Loki's direction. It took a moment, but they were able to back the Jotunn slave into a corner while the uninjured maid took care of Loki's victim. 

Once the first woman was properly patched up and wasn't in as much danger of the bleeding becoming detrimental to her health, the second stormed to Tony's workshop, telling him what "that vicious brute" did unprovoked. He stiffened, already knowing Loki wasn't a fighter by choice, unless he was, in fact, provoked, so he didn't believe it, but he couldn't show that much sympathy for the Jotunn when it seemed he'd nearly killed one of the humans that worked in the house. Tony let out a sigh, getting up to follow the woman to where the two men had cornered Loki.

While they waited, the first two glared and growled, more afraid of the foreign creature than anything, but their ignorance and fear bred hatred in them. The one with the torch had turned up the gas, to lengthen the flame, constantly shooting it off in Loki's direction if the Jotunn tried to move around them.

 

Loki spotted both the torch and rolling pin and was immediately on the defensive, crouching a bit and baring his teeth in warning. At this point, he didn't care if the woman bled out--he'd sliced open her inner forearm, across the veins--for she had attacked him first with that rolled up whatever-it-was (Jotunns don't have newspapers).

As the men began to advance on him, he instinctively took several steps back; and to his dismay, he hit a wall. Growling, he faced them, confident that he could take them out quickly and effortlessly. However, his eyes caught the uninjured maid as she scurried toward Anthony's workshops, and he cursed; for that meant Tony would be there soon, and he was sure that if he arrived to two of his servants lying dead on his floor, he would not be very pleased at all.

Snarling at the men that held him captive in the corner, Loki taunted them, springing forward and then retreating as the torch was set on him. Pulling a throwing knife out of a secretive pocket hidden in his loincloth, he flung them at the two humans, ensuring that at least one grazed the man holding the torch's hand to get him to stop with the fire.

 

Tony wasn't walking slowly by any means, and he heard the sound of one of his men cry out when the knife hit his hand. He was milking it, and more shocked than anything, Tony could tell, but still, seeing the situation as it was... He didn't like it.

"Loki, _enough,_ " he growled, giving the order without relying on the spell on the medallion around his neck. He nearly prayed that Loki would just listen, as if he had chosen to use the spell.   
He turned his attention to the men, putting up a hand to silence their complaints and explanations. "I'll take care of it. I'll deal with him. Both of you - all three of you - leave," he said, looking to the woman who had alerted him to Loki's attack as well. All three reluctantly slipped away, less than happy with their employer’s decision to take care of the Jotunn slave on his own.

Tony scowled at their backs, then looked at Loki, making sure that the Jotunn hadn't been burned. "Alright, tell me what happened," he said softly, once they were out of earshot.

 

Loki was shocked into stillness and silence as Tony grunted the order, eyes going just a little wide. Never had the human been so harsh before, and it stunned him to the point where he couldn't even breathe, let alone move, until several moments had passed. He was grateful that the man didn't bother asking the servants that'd attacked him what had happened, for they surely would have lied through their teeth; and they nearly snarled at him as they walked out of the room.

He relaxed incredibly when they were gone, returning to the seemingly-innocent and sweet Jotunn Tony had been with just hours ago. "I was making my way through the halls when the woman I clawed at saw me. She was evidently displeased with my presence, for she attempted to shoo me away like an animal; and when I refused, she attacked me with a… a..." He thought for a moment, frowning. "She rolled something up and attacked me with it. I defended myself with a single swipe of my claws. Not several. One. It was enough to get her away, and I was going to leave, but then **_they..._** " He sighed, rubbing his eyes and stepping forward to lean into Tony.

 

Only once Tony was sure that there was no one else around did the engineer move, slipping his arms around the creature's waist loosely. "You knew the rest of them wouldn't treat you as an equal, Loki... She wouldn't have hurt you, and I'm sure you gave them more than enough of a shock..."

He sighed, leaning back just a little to rub one of his temples to think a little more clearly. "They're going to demand I do _something,_ Loki, given what you did. If I don't... everything's down the tubes and it won't matter what I'd prefer." He took Loki's hands, then just held the one that he'd lashed out with, wiping the trace amounts of blood away with the hem of his shirt.

 

Loki purred as arms slipped around his lithe frame, nuzzling into Tony almost adoringly. "I knew that, though I did not expect her to _attack_ me..." He murmured defensively, shivering. "They… will not attack me again, will they?" He asked, looking up at the human with wide, bright eyes. "I do not wish to fight... I am not bloodthirsty..."

Brow furrowing, Loki simply watched as Tony took his hands, then switched to the one he'd clawed the woman with. He tilted his head a little, only looking on as the blood was cleaned from his claws. "What will you do..?"

 

"It doesn't matter what I do, you're going to hate me for it..." He was trying to look ahead, to think, and he could only see two options. There were caps, of a sort, which could be attached to a Jotunn’s hands, but they were heavy and uncomfortable, which left him really one other choice. He couldn't let Loki go unpunished for it, as he'd attacked a human, and if he did nothing and the servants complained... well, there were far worse things that could happen to Loki than losing his claws. "You said your horns grow back, right? ...Will your claws do the same after time...?"

 

Loki frowned, shaking his head. "At this point, Anthony, I could not hate you. When we first met, I held a bit of resentment for you, but now? Never. I could not dream of it." His voice was hushed, and he pressed his face back into Tony's neck as silence took over. He knew of the mitt-type devices that could be locked onto his people's hands, and he hoped to Valhalla that the man would not even consider them.

At the suggestion, Loki hurriedly pushed away from Tony, his gaze holding fear and just a hint of betrayal. "You already took my horn, and now you venture so far as to take my claws?" He uttered in near disbelief, backing away still. The pain that came with declawing was second only to the pain of losing a horn to a slave master.

 

Tony stiffened visibly. "Don't make it sound like I'm doing this because I want to. You know I don't." He still held Loki's hand, reluctant to let him back away. "I don't want to do this, Loki, but if I don't do something, do you have any idea what someone much crueler than me might do?" he asked, gently tracing the marks on the backs of Loki's hands. He didn't want to think of doing something so barbaric to the Jotunn, but there were far worse things that could happen. 

"The mitts are worse. They're clunky and you'd be stuck with them for a long time. At least as long as you're here. I know you're not bloodthirsty and you're not likely to do anything like this unprovoked, but... Please, just try to think about this from my side, for a minute."

 

Loki clenched his jaw, fear and panic rising within him. He allowed Tony to hold his hand, though his trust in the man was faltering at the moment. "Please," he begged quietly, tears welling in his eyes. He'd broken claws before, and losing just one was enough to floor someone; and so this, losing **_all ten,_** was mind-wrecking.

"Please d-don't... y-you don't know ho-how much it will pain me," he attempted to persuade the man, practically cowering now. "T-Takk... Takk...!" (11)

 

Tony looked around, swearing that he could hear people in the halls around them. "Loki, shh, just... come with me, come on, back to my room," he said, just barely making it an order as he pulled the Jotunn down the hall to the room they'd spent the night in, closing the door behind him. 

"I don't want to do this to you, Loki. If I don't do something though, this is over, for both of us, already. If I let you keep them, you're stuck with the mitts, and probably a hell of a beating." His took a shaky breath, hating what he was about to say, touching the medallion with the piece of Loki's horn. "You will let me remove your claws, Loki, Gjør som du får beskjed om." (12) The touch and the words in the Jotunn's native tongue were all it took to give an order that the Jotunn could not refuse.

 

Loki followed Tony closely, frowning and clutching onto his arm, despite how much he feared the human right then; but as soon as he slipped into the room, the Prince stepped away from him. He listened, or at least, he tried to, as the man spoke to him, trying to make sense of it. To justify it. However, memories of the pain, and the knowledge that it would be increased tenfold... _that_ was terrifying. "Please, Anthony," he breathed one last time, though he couldn't say anything else, because before he could, the human uttered what Loki had feared since day one.

He stood, shocked, stunned, and sufficiently astonished, tears beginning to flow like deep rivers down his cheeks. He was silent through it, making no noise, not even a sniffle, just standing there, staring in disbelief.

 

Tony looked like he hated himself about as much as he possibly could for giving that damn order, especially when the hurt expression came to Loki's face. "Don't do that, Loki, please," he said softly, stepping slowly towards the Jotunn, hoping he wouldn't back away. "You know, if you think about it, that I don't want this any more than you do... You know that, Loki, don't make this worse, please," he pleaded softly, reaching up to brush Loki's tears away slowly.

 

Loki could only stand there, mind reeling from the order he was given. His own magic combated the spell that had been placed on the horn, though there was still a sliver of the darker magic that made its way through because the order had come as such a shock; and so he was frozen in place, unsure of whether to move and comply or to just stand there. Luckily for him, he couldn't seem to stop doing the latter.

Tony's pleading words made his heart slam against his ribcage, and he shivered as the tears were brushed from his cheeks. With a soft grunt, the Jotunn shoved Tony away as gently as he could. "Y-You... will not touch me with such affection. Not u-until I deem you wo-worthy again," he declared shakily, jaw clenching and un-clenching as he struggled with what to do.

 

Tony raised his hands peacefully, backing away a little with the push. "Then let's take care of this now, before the idea has time to fester in your mind. Don't make me order you again, because I don't like it any more than you do," he said, heading for the door again, opening it and standing in the threshold. There was a harshness to him now, a coldness in his eyes, one that went along strictly with business, one that Loki would've seen in those first few minutes at the initial auction, but that would have been it. 

"Besides, I haven't shown you my workshop yet. It's about time you saw it."

 

Loki stiffened, almost as if he was going to stay put, though the idea of Tony ordering him again made him move his feet. He followed behind Tony, tear streaks still dark on his face. His eyes were dull, however, and completely void of emotion as they made their way throughout the halls.

The Prince could have cared less if he saw the man's workshop or not, though he did have to admit that it was slightly on the magnificent side. He'd never seen anything like it; so much human technology and machinery was a little overwhelming, and so he hesitated at the door before stepping inside.

In truth, he hoped Tony wouldn't listen to him. He hoped that when his claws were coming off, Tony would reassure him. Tell him everything would be okay. Tell him that he's sorry. That cold look in the man's eyes, however, told him that it might not happen.

 

Tony led Loki through the workshop, and where he might've normally been bragging and describing some of the machines to the Jotunn, he was silent. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he didn't see another choice in the matter. He gestured to a seat, starting to move around and gather the few things he would need for what he was going to do. 

Once Loki sat, once Tony had collected the tools he needed to grab, he went over, slowly, crouching down in front of him. He rested one hand gently on Loki's knee, and that cold look had fallen from his face. He looked apologetic, but he was still silent, and he stayed where he was for a moment.

 

Bare feet padded along the floor as he followed Tony through the workshop, sitting where he was told and making himself comfortable. He could only look on as the human gathered his things, and a certain amount of phantom pains were already plaguing his fingers from his memories. Swallowing hard, he lifted his head as Tony ventured over cautiously, glad to see that the dark expression had slipped from his features as he crouched before the Prince; and because of this, Loki smiled just a little, the corners of his lips lifting just softly. Leaning down, he guided the man into a gentle kiss, reaching down with one hand and resting it in Tony's.

He said naught when he pulled away, for he knew that the human would begin by himself and that he'd take the hand gesture as an o-k; and so, while he waited for the pain to begin, he closed his eyes, reveling in the silence.

 

The little kiss was much more calming than it had any right to be. He knew that what he was doing wasn't okay, and it was bound to cause trust issues, but it was as close to a go-ahead as he was going to get. He stood, gaining a little of that cold look back, because he didn't want to think about what he had to do.

He pulled on a pair of heavy-duty gloves, lifting a chunk of dry ice out of a box that smoked when he opened it. With a whack from a set of pliers, he split it up, setting it on the table before the cold ate its way through the gloves. "Hold onto those, it'll numb your hands a bit. I don't think any medicine I have will work for you, that's the best I can do." He leaned in, kissing the top of Loki's head quickly. "I'm so sorry, Loki."

 

Loki flinched a little as the dry ice was revealed; recognizing it as the same object that had slightly numbed his head when his horn had been removed. Very, very hesitantly, the Prince reached over and grabbed one of the pieces, clutching it in both hands. He looked up at Tony with large, pleading eyes, he swallowed hard, whimpering as the kiss was pressed to his head. Shakily, he held out one hand--his left--for the man to take hold of.

 

Tony took Loki's hand carefully, picking up the tool he was going to use to essentially tear Loki's claws off. He sat down carefully, essentially in the Jotunn's lap, holding Loki's hand out to the side and blocking the view with his chest. "If it hurts, you can bite my shoulder, alright? It'll be okay," he murmured, trying to stay calm and convince himself to go through with this at the same time.

 

Loki bit into his lower lip, whining lowly. "You do not want me to bite your shoulder if I am in that much pain, Anthony," he murmured, nuzzling the human's shoulder instead. "Oh, and... th-there will be an a-alarming amount of blood," Loki warned, "though you m-must not panic."

Slipping his hand from Tony's grasp, he took hold of the human's finger. "Pull up as hard as you can to break it initially," he pressed his fingertip to Tony's nail's tip and pushed up just a little to simulate. "Then push down just as hard to snap the nerves," he pressed down a bit. "Then pull out to sever it entirely," he allowed Tony to take his hand back.

 

"Fortunately for the both of us, I don't panic at the sight of blood. I've torn nails off, I'm not sure if it's the same, but I assume it's just still not pretty," he replied. He watched Loki demonstrate, then nodded slowly, taking his hand back. He could feel the chill, even through the gloves he still wore.

He shifted his tools to get the best grip he could, shifting his shoulder back a little. "I know I don't want you to, but you don't want me tearing your claws out. Fair's fair, right?" he murmured, starting in on the first claw without further hesitation.

 

"Imagine tearing an entire hand off for every nail you've ever torn off," he mumbled in reply, settling a little in the seat and swallowing hard as those tools came closer and closer to his nails. He eyed the man's shoulder, deciding that once he was actually desperate enough to bite him, he would.

As Tony pulled the claw up, a loud **_snap_** echoed throughout the room, and the Prince threw his head back with a blood-curdling cry of pain. The push downward that severed the nerves completely caused blood to gush, and another cry rang out through the room; and finally, with the pull that severed the claw entirely, Loki's voice broke in an absolutely chilling scream. Tears poured down his face, and he couldn't help but to breathe heavily with the agony that surged through him.

And that was only one claw.

 

Tony shushed Loki softly, aware that stopping would've just given Loki time to feel more of the pain. He continued, although he hated himself for every claw he ripped out, but he didn't stop until he finished the left hand. He'd grabbed some bandages, but he already figured he didn't have enough to stop the bleeding entirely, so he grabbed a roll, putting it inside the crook of Loki's elbow and folding up his arm. The bandage would put pressure on the main veins in Loki's arm to help stem the bleeding a bit. "Shh, shh, it's alright, it's alright, halfway done, Loki, almost done... I'm so sorry..."

 

By the time Tony was done with his whole left hand, Loki had settled on allowing his head to crane backward over the back of the chair, screams directed at the ceiling when he could scream; sometimes it hurt so much that he'd just black out, only to wake up moments later with a groan or a hiss.

He hardly noticed when Tony stopped to bandage his arm, for the pain was so intense that it seemed like he was still going, blood dripping like a leaking faucet from his fingertips.  
Unable to form a logical sentence, Loki settled on just sobbing, whimpering and making long, agonized noises.

 

The bandages were somewhat hastily done, but it was enough to start slowing down the bloodflow. Since his gloves were wet with Loki's blood, it hurt like hell, but he picked up the ice again, putting it in the Jotunn's palm and trying to encourage him to curl his fingers around it to try to bring him some relief. 

He shifted, leaning back just enough to look at Loki, turning around and kissing over the side of his neck. "Shh, it's alright, it's okay, you'll be okay," he murmured, just trying to spew nonsense to calm Loki down.

 

Numb. His arm was numb. His fingers were getting there, but his arm was numb. The tingling sensation that came with a lack of blood flow was slowly creeping up toward his shoulder and down to his hand, and he welcomed it, willing to feel anything other than this pain. It took effort, but he curled his fingers around the dry ice at Tony's request.

Eyes dull and wide, the Prince stared blankly at the ceiling as low sounds of suffering bubbled in his throat. He couldn't, didn't respond to Tony, didn't react to the kisses--he didn't even flinch as the dry ice slipped from his numbing fingers and into a pool of his blood.

 

Tony watched, taking Loki's right hand gently, but making no move to take his claws off. If anyone dared to say he hadn't punished the Jotunn for what he'd done, he would very politely tell them where they could stick that comment. He set the tools down, shifting to the side, still holding Loki's arm up to keep it bent to keep him from bleeding too intensively.

"I'm not doing the other hand, you'll be alright, gorgeous," he said, slipping the words into the same things he kept mumbling, trying to get Loki's attention back to the present, regardless of the pain he was in.

 

Loki couldn't feel anything on his left arm. Not the shoulder, not the bicep, not the forearm, nor the hand--and especially not the fingers. Despite Tony's words and his efforts, the Jotunn remained dazed, head lulled back and his mouth open just slightly to let his sounds out. He was limp, unwilling to even try in the agony he felt.

 

Tony just stayed close, brushing his fingers over the raised marks on Loki's abdomen, speaking softly to him, trying to help, although he knew the prince's pain was his fault. He highly doubted that anything he had that might deaden his own pain would work on Loki's, which didn't make him feel any better.

 

Loki's eyelids fluttered and his eyes themselves rolled, a groan dragging from his throat. Darkness had begun to spot in his vision, his body was beginning to feel lighter, flimsier; and despite Tony's attempts to help him come-to, he couldn't hold on, falling unceremoniously into the solid grip of unconsciousness.

 

Tony swore under his breath when he felt Loki slump, repeating the same curses over and over as he slipped to his feet, moving to do what he could to stop the bleeding more. He fidgeted, aware that the only thing he could really do to help Loki's body recover from the blood loss - if he were human, anyway - was to get him rehydrated, but Tony really didn't know first aid for a Jotunn.

 

Loki remained unconscious. His breathing was shallow and a little labored, limbs shaking just a little as his heart battled to pump blood throughout his body. Jotunn first aid was not unlike human first aid, though their bodies most definitely needed to be kept cold. Other than that, nothing was detrimentally different, for their bodies were quick to heal.

 

Thanks to the computers in the engineer's workshop, it was cooler in the room than it was in his room, and Tony shifted off of Loki's lap entirely, knowing how much warmer he was than the Jotunn. He had some ice packs, however, for his own first aid, on the occasion that he hurt himself, one way or another, so he took the ice packs, bringing them over and putting them on a few spots of Loki's body, hoping they would help keep him cool.

 

Loki was out for about ten minutes, though while he was unconscious, his body worked to heal itself from the trauma of having one hand declawed. It did not heal his fingertips, however--at least, it didn't look like it from the outside--and so they still bled a bit, dripping every now and then.  
Upon awakening, Loki's eyes lazily blinked open, and he whimpered a little, not daring to move.

 

As soon as he heard Loki stirring, Tony was in front of him again. He'd been cleaning up the mess, trying to distract himself from the thought of what he'd done. He put a hand gently on Loki's knee, crouching in front of him again, looking him over and watching him curiously, anxiously hoping he'd be able to heal himself enough.

 

Loki shivered as a hand came into contact with his knee, and he slowly lifted his head to look at the man before him. He swallowed hard, just looking at him, and after another few moments, he dared to lift his left hand.

Immediately, his heart sunk and tears flooded his vision, hand trembling with the effort it took to even hold it up. Eventually, he let it fall, using his uninjured right hand to hold his own face as he sobbed.

 

Tony bit his lip, looking down for a moment before he stood again, bending over to start to wipe tears away from Loki's face. "It's alright, Loki, it's alright. It's okay," he said softly, trying to reassure the Jotunn. He hated to see him so dismembered and hurt, especially since this was the second time since they'd met that he'd physically torn parts off of Loki.

 

Loki could hardly breathe through his sobs, the realization of what had just happened hitting him like a brick wall. Standing on shaky legs, the Prince stumbled a little as he flinched away from Tony, holding his left hand close. Quickly teleporting, he snuggled into the bed in Tony's room, cradling his hand and whimpering through his tears.

 

Tony had expected that, honestly... He doubted the prince would want to be near him, no matter what he'd try to do to make any of it less painful or less traumatic. He finished cleaning up the mess, before he made his way back out, to check on the servant Loki had attacked. He needed to have a chat with his staff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (11) T-takk... Takk...! - P-Please... Please!
> 
> (12) Gjør som du får beskjed om - Do as you're told


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick little thing to tide over the story a little bit. Tony meets with his staff about Loki attacking one of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry for the massive delay. My partner and I are both busy, and haven't had much of a chance to work on this. However, we have most of the next chapter done, and can't find the time or the muses to finish it, so I wrote up a little thing as an apology so everyone can see what an ass Tony is.

Tony gathered the people that worked for him, those that had been involved in the incident and those that hadn’t, about fifteen people in all, just to make sure the information he had was heard by them all, and there would be no misunderstandings. The creature he’d bought wasn’t the same as any Jotunn that any of his staff had seen before, so it seemed to be time for a quick meeting.

“Let me start out by saying this: Until the Jotunn gets more comfortable in the house, I don’t want any of you approaching him. He’s not even close to being the same type of creature that you’re used to seeing. Should you find yourself encountering him, leave him alone. Ignore him. Act like he’s not there,” Tony ordered them, voice stern. The servants gathered all shifted uncomfortably, like they couldn’t even fathom the idea of leaving the creature alone if they saw him. There was a rumor about what he was, and it would be too easy to pick on the creature. 

Tony’s glare swept across them, and they all became still again. “He was a prince. And even in some beastly culture like his, that means he has significantly more pride than the rest of them, and breaking him into the role he was bought for is going to take a little bit of time. The claws on his left hand are gone. The ones on the right hand are intact, because that way, I have something to hold over him if he steps out of line again.” There was a ripple through the gathered workers, something like sounds of disbelief, until Tony silenced them again. “Until he learns his place, what you have to do is simple. Again. Leave him alone. If he’s in your way, find a polite way of telling him to move. Should he go so far as to attack any of you… **burn him**. He’ll learn. He’ll break. Don’t worry about it in the meantime. You have your instructions, and I expect you to follow them.” He dismissed them with a wave of his hand, then walked into a room that was a mix of a small library and a den.

_That could have gone worse, but it could have gone better,_ he thought to himself, pouring something strong to drink. He only needed a glass, downing it quickly, finding the thought of seeing Loki again much easier with a bit of alcohol in his system. He set the glass back down, then headed to his room where he thought his slave prince might have taken refuge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's hoping we get into the next chapter soon.
> 
> Tony's an ass, I'm sorry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony apologizes to Loki, and they share a tender moment or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so dreadfully sorry for the amount of time between updates. Gray and I both got super busy, but we have a bit of a chunk ready, so I'm going to put up a few chapters. Again. So very sorry. Have some fluffy idiots. 
> 
> Also, at the end of this chapter will be a link for a poll, asking you, the readers, whether Tony should be good or evil! Just to see what people think.
> 
> Sorry about shortness! But look, they're so damn cute, aren't they?

Loki had made his way to the bed, where he stayed, his shivering, whimpering form snuggled under the covers. The pain he was in had decreased drastically, especially with the help of his magic, though he was still a sore, whimpering mess. Luckily, he'd gotten the bleeding to stop, and so the tops of his fingertips, where a nail should have been, were just throbbing masses of flesh, caked in dry, clotted blood. He cradled the hand, using whatever spells he could muster to slowly heal and protect the wounds; and when Tony entered the room, he peeked out from underneath the blankets, a small noise escaping him. He blinked up at the man, eyes narrowing just a little in what could have been fear.

 

"I won't come near you, it's alright. I just wanted to tell you, Loki... I told the servants what happened. I also told them that they are not to treat you the way the one woman did. If they do, I need you to tell me. I'll take care of them. They know you have one handful of claws left, and I don't want to take that away from you. I've marred you enough," he said, slowly walking into the room. He hopped up onto a long dresser, sitting on top of it. He didn't break eye contact with Loki, and he kept his distance.

 

Loki listened, never taking his eyes off of Tony as he moved into the room. So he'd told the servants, then. At least they wouldn't attempt anything now--or so he hoped. He watched as Tony pushed himself up onto the dresser, and with a small sigh, he finally let his gaze fall. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment or two, the Prince sat up, and then allowing his eyes to blink open again. Making his way toward Tony, he gradually slipped off of the bed, walking up and offering the wounded hand to him. He whimpered quietly, looking up at the human with pleading eyes, silently asking for help.

 

Tony watched Loki come closer, and he gently took the injured hand, looking it over. "I wish I had something I could give you for the pain. I could probably make something, either topical or a medicine... but I think I would need something from your home... there has to be something," he said, slowly unwrapping the bandages. He kissed Loki's knuckles, not wanting to get too close to the exposed injuries. He took off his shirt, carefully dabbing up the blood and doing what he could to clean the wounds up.

 

Loki allowed his non-injured hand to slip up and cover his mouth a little, fingertips pressing on his pale blue lips lightly. He frowned, sighing. "Your human medication won't help me," he replied quietly, knowing that he could retrieve some sort of medication from his home, but... "My people are in short supply as it is. I shan't risk taking such an important element from them," the Prince murmured boldly, leaning closer as Tony began to assist him.

 

"Even if there's something natural... something I could refine. It would help you, and them, if I could synthesize something," he said softly, still gently cleaning Loki's hand, avoiding the tips of his fingers. "I'm still sorry, Loki... knowing how much I've already hurt you, well, if this was reversed, I don't know if I'd be as willing to be near you like this."

Loki allowed his hand to drop from his lips, and he took a deep breath to collect himself. "Perhaps you could, if you used the resources from my Kingdom, though I can't allow you to do that." He looked up, studying Tony's features. There was a good reason he was willing to venture so close to the human, the fact that he'd fallen almost irreversibly in love with him being it, though he couldn't just outright say that, now could he?

"I... trust you," he whispered, wincing a little as pain shot up his fingers.

 

Tony raised an eyebrow a little, as he certainly knew he hadn't given Loki a lot of reasons to trust - or even like - him, and he stopped for just a second and looked up at Loki, before returning to the gentle cleaning. "I know I could, with the right resources, but if you don't want to allow me to use them, I won't make you." He knew he could, but he had already decided that he hated the look of utter betrayal on Loki's face when he had given him an order.

 

Loki fidgeted a little under Tony's gaze, dropping his own to avoid eye contact; for he knew that if Tony asked him to elaborate, he'd be at a loss for words. "Pl-... Please do not make me," he murmured under his breath, tears coming to his eyes at the very thought. Returning his gaze to the human before him, he sniffled. "I do not wish to hinder my people even more. I know how poorly they are holding up without me..."

 

Tony got up, slipping around Loki and quickly heading to the bathroom to get more bandages and better supplies, then came back and sat down again, starting to re-wrap Loki's fingers carefully. "I won't. I shouldn't have given you the first order, but I didn't see another way. I thought I saw, when we were there... a few different plants, ones that look like what we use for medicine. It's an offer, Loki, and if you decide you want to take me up on it, all you have to do is say so. You... you would have to be the test subject for any of it, that's the huge downside."

 

Loki stayed put as Tony slipped away, looking on as he disappeared into the bathroom. His spirits seemed to lift as he returned, and a small smile even found its way to the Prince's face. He remained still as the human wrapped his fingers in the crisp, white bandages, trying his best to not flinch away when it hurt. "There are plants of that nature all over Jotunnheim, but... my people must use them in greater quantities than ever before. It would be horrible of me to take even a small portion of their resources, for a leader must always sacrifice himself for his people."

 

"Even if it could lead to more medicine, more help for them? Difficult as it is, I want to help. I don't want your people to be suffering, and if they exhaust the resources they have, they'll be in more pain," he pointed out, kissing the back of Loki's hand, once for each claw he'd removed. "Again, I won't make you, but... it is a standing offer, and if you ever change your mind, all you have to do is tell me."

 

Loki paused, swallowing thickly. Tony did have a point, and whether the Prince liked it or not, it was a damn good one. Sighing and smiling a little as the man kissed his hand, he ran his still-clawed fingers through his long, raven-like hair. "I will think about it, Anthony," he murmured quietly, leaning in and nuzzling his forehead against the human's. "But for now, I must wash up. This stress has caused me to feel dirty. Would you mind if I used the, uh…" Faltering for a moment, he struggled to remember the human word. "Bath… tub...?"

 

Tony finished with the bandaging before he answered. "The shower is the one we were in yesterday, the bathtub will let you just sit and soak, if that's what you want. Whichever works for you. Just remember which one's cold, alright? I don't want to see you so hurt again." He smiled softly, nuzzling back gently against the Jotunn's forehead. Any touch he had now was gentle, far from how he was when he'd torn off Loki's claws, or even how he'd acted in front of other people.

 

Loki thought for several moments, pursing his lips. "I would love to just sit and relax," he mumbled, nodding a little. "The bath, then. And the… left one is cold, correct?" He smiled, enjoying these gentle and affectionate touches rather than the brutal, cold ones from before. "Would you, ah…" He dropped his gaze in embarrassment. "Would you join me, perhaps? I could use the spell from yesterday to warm you in the water..." Pleading with his eyes when he looked back up, he hoped the man would say yes, for he honestly did not enjoy being alone in this vast home.

 

Tony sighed, some of the stress and tension from the day leaving his face. "Alright. Since you asked so nicely," he teased, standing up again. He was still surprised by the fact that Loki wanted him near, after what the human had done, but he wasn't going to argue it. He actually liked the company, for the most part. "Come on, I'll get the water started," he said, smiling softly, guiding Loki to the bathroom, looking forward to the chance to relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that poll, as promised:
> 
>  
> 
> [POLL](http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=525e6292e4b0707c21e77276)


	10. Update!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an update about what's happening!

I know Gray and I have been very bad about updating lately. 

However!

We have done some plotting, and we have some content figured out? We'll be typing up some progress soon!

Thanks everyone for reading, and we look forward to devastating you further! I mean... yes. Entertaining you. All that wonderful stuff.

We'll see you all soon!

-Jaiyu and Grayson

**Author's Note:**

> Updates SHOULD come every few days, with the Norwegian translation at the end of the chapter. Hopefully, Google translate didn't mess up my translations too badly, where I believe my partner just up and KNOWS THE LANGUAGE, so.
> 
> Extra delays lately, I'm sorry.


End file.
